Jugement du Ciel
by Feral Phoenix
Summary: The Magi have found a way to help their Grim Angels regain themselves. Ledah agrees to undergo this trial in hopes of winning back Ein's wings. However, he must do it completely alone, and the cost could be deadly. LxE
1. Eden

Jugement du Ciel

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Riviera, as you may have surmised. This is my own little story thing and plagiarism will be handled either by my security (Envy) or any one of my other babies, probably Reiko-kun, who needs a new chew toy anyway (his don't last very long). You may not sue me, however, because I claim no part of Riviera but a game cartridge and my (substantial) obsession with certain characters.

WARNING! This fanfic contains or will in all likelihood contain fairly graphic sex and EXTREMELY graphic violence. You have been warned, so I don't want to hear any whining.

_(Jugement du Ciel: _"Trial of Heaven")

_The trials of a Grim Angel are many, and all of them are dangerous._

_But I wonder… how dangerous is _too _dangerous?_

_It has taken us years of research, but finally we have a solution to the traitorous Hector's truly barbarous method of Grim Angel creation. The sacrifices Asgard's children have so bravely offered in exchange for their divine power were ripped from their bodies in an act so like rape that there should not have to be any distinction. Although the very transformation is traumatic by nature, there are ways to do it humanely—by those specializing in the associated fields, with proper anesthetic care._

_Ledah Rozwelli was very lucky both that his body frantically worked to keep him living for the years he went with his heart so damaged—that, in fact, it was starting to regenerate—and that there was still a man living who could help speed the process and control the regeneration so that the very fabric of his heart and soul weren't warped during the procedure. He lives, and he lives as a whole being._

_Were Malice Ructor to have survived the end of the Second Advent, I am not so sure that she would ever have been able to come back from the edge. The damage to her body was extensive; she was, after all, missing at least seven internal organs, and unlike Ein and Ledah, the physical sacrifice of her future was never used to forge her Diviner—Hector, of course, created a false one. And there is the matter of Malice's never completing the first of the trials. Never a complete Grim Angel, she probably would not have survived _any _of the theorized recovery processes._

_If Ledah is the miracle and Malice the impossibility, our dear Ecthel is wavering somewhere in between. No matter what is done, the amputation of his wings cannot be reversed; but if their _essence _can be released from the Diviner, removed from it, or duplicated in his body… there are ways that we have developed in which he would be able to harness it._

_Of course, removing the spiritual essence of Ein's wings from Einherjar would destroy it; Ein would never allow that to happen. His Diviner is, after all, a part of him. And as of yet, we have no way of recreating _any _type of spiritual essence. Encouraging it to regenerate, yes… but of course, aside from their residual sleep within Einherjar's core, Ein's wings are dead._

_The only way that remains is the Guardian._

_Such a twisted and horrible beast would require all the power of we Magi to create, and even if we were to succeed, with all my wisdom I know not if Ledah would be able to destroy it. He is a powerful man, a powerful angel… but the trials he has already survived have weakened him more than he would like to admit. And he would not enjoy the knowledge that I am aware of his weakness._

_In addition, time has passed since his transformation, and in age he begins to lose his power…_

_If Ledah were to die in the trial, not only would everything we've worked for be lost, but Ein himself would probably die as well. The loss of the focus of his life would surely destroy him in every possible way._

_And so the question remains:_

_How dangerous is _too _dangerous?_

_Can we make this work without any loss of life?_

_And if Ledah survives, what will be the cost to his already-battered body?_

---

Ein closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the quiet snicker of the shears, doing his best not to fidget at the tickle hovering at the nape of his neck. Instead, he took a deep breath, sighing serenely. It was mid-summer, he was seated outside, and Elendia still smelled as floral as if it were spring. There was a cool breeze in the air that kept the heat from becoming too unbearable; either way, Ein had left his usual cape, scarf, and gloves back at home—he'd wrapped his hands and forearms as usual, but that was more out of habit than anything else.

Starting to smile, he half-opened his cobalt eyes, which were liberally flecked with hazel and gray in the warm light. Only a week ago, he and several others had made a most welcome addition to his home—windows, with a large open panel of glass in the ceiling, right over the room in which lay the large, family-sized marble bathtub. There were shutters on it, of course, so that it could be closed from the inside or outside if need be, but when it was open in the middle of the day, the bathwater glittered beautifully whenever one moved in it.

There was one final, decisive snip, and Ein blinked up at the blue sky and pearly clouds as the voice behind him announced, "Well, there you go. All done!"

Smiling, Ein ran a hand over the back of his head, heaving an inner sigh of relief at the newly even, short ends of the hair there. Not every day was like this, and summer in Elendia was _hot. _"Thanks, Lina."

Lina giggled. "Don't mention it!" Swiftly, she undid the slipknot of the white tablecloth she'd had draped over Ein's shoulders, shaking it out and dumping tufts of his blue-brown hair into the grass around them.

Ein stood and stretched, cracking his shoulders as he did so. Twenty-five years old, he still looked much the same as he had when he'd first arrived in the peaceful village of Sprites: His short bluish brown hair (though currently a little less shaggy) flopped into his face in temporarily tamed tufts, his eyes were wide and clear, and his face open and honest, though it was only marginally less of the baby face it'd been when he was seventeen. Standing at a modest five feet and eleven inches, Ein had a body toned from various types of work that he'd done for the past eight years and palms roughened by sword calluses. He was habitually (almost obsessively) clean-shaven, and so he tended to look quite a bit younger than he truly was. Over the years, his voice had deepened from a mid-alto to a kind and often-cheerful low tenor. He looked much like any ordinary Sprite, but there were always two things that would destroy that notion in those he first met.

One was the exceedingly odd sword he usually carried with him, a bright yellow bolt-shaped weapon that blazed with holy power.

The other was the pair of ugly, twisted scars over his shoulderblades.

Ein Legendra, formerly of Asgard, was a Grim Angel, living in a state of "military leave" from his duties as the blade of judgment. His former commanding Magus, Hector, probably would've rolled over in his grave if he'd known this, but Ein no longer cared much about what a power-hungry, amoral, completely ruthless being such as Hector would think of him. He cared very much that his new commanding Magus, Celina the Just, allowed him to live in this fashion—she was, very simply, just about everything that Hector was not, and she saw no point in keeping Ein tied up in Asgard when there was no need for his powers. She would contact him if he was needed (already had, on one occasion), but other than that, she mostly left him alone. Which Ein liked a lot.

"You're getting really good at doing haircuts," Ein told the girl who'd been standing behind him, a small pair of shears in her hand. "Now, if only we could convince Ledah to come down here and let you do one for him, too. But, no… as soon as I point out that his hair's getting long, or he notices it himself, it's out with a pair of scissors—or even worse, his tooling knife—and…" Ein mimed a very quick, shoddy, uncaring job of cutting one's own hair, with a grimace that made Lina giggle. "It gets crazier every time, and he usually ends up with that one little tuft at the top that sticks up no matter _what _we do to it. I swear he does it on purpose."

"But whenever you're not complaining about it, Lina always hears you saying it's cute," Lina pointed out, hiding a grin. Even after so long, she still hadn't outgrown her exceedingly odd speech pattern of referring to herself in the third person, and probably never would.

"Shh. Don't let that on to _him," _Ein said hastily, looking around as if he expected Ledah to be walking through the woods at that very moment. "It just… it grows on you, okay? Isn't that the way of most things…? But it gets annoying that he _never _does anything different…"

Lina just grinned. Nineteen years old, she had grown from the small and bouncy child Ein had first met into a leggy, sunny, smooth-skinned young woman. Her long orange hair had been hastily plaited into a braid, with a black silk bow tied at the end. Her light brown eyes flickered with amusement, offsetting her yellow tunic and sun-golden skin perfectly. Lina also had on her thigh-length black stockings, leather ankle boots, and the soft, tanned-leather archer's armbands that Ein had made for her out of deerskin for her last birthday. Her bright personality and budding good looks drew the attention of all the young village men, but Lina seemed oblivious to them all. Instead, she spent most of her time with Arc fighter Serene or her adopted elder sister, Fia.

"Well, wish Skyler good luck for me when you see him," Ein said with a wave, dusting off his shorts. "Fia's going to cave in sooner or later. You can _so _tell that she likes him."

"Will do," Lina replied with a salute; Ein headed off down the path.

Elendia was at its most beautiful in the spring and autumn, but it didn't exactly look bad in summer, either. There were still small flower patches growing to the sides of the cobbled paths that surrounded the trees and hedges that separated the home and work districts of the town. And everything was just so wonderfully green and rustly in the breezes…

Before Ein realized it, his feet had carried him home.

The low-slung, one-story house had a brick foundation though it was built out of wood, its roof thatched with grasses and large leaves over its wooden tiles in order to help water roll off without warping the ceiling. The door was unlocked and stood slightly open; Ein headed inside, closing it behind him.

"Hello?" Ein called, looking around. The front door led into the kitchen, which had a carefully-laid floor of wooden panels and a long counter that ran along the wall under the window to the icebox on one side and the little gas cooking stove with the range on its top on the other. The table in the center of the room stood as it had in the morning, with one notable exception—Ledah's chair had been pulled slightly out, with his bright crimson Grim Angel's mantle hanging folded over its back. The sandals with straps of braided black leather that had been given to Ledah by Kyle, one of the locals, rested near the bottom of one chair leg, as though they'd been pushed up against it after their owner had kicked them off.

"I know you're in here, Ledah, so there's no point in not answering," Ein said as he gently pushed open the door that led to their bedroom. Nothing here, either, although the wingless angel thought he heard the soft liquid sounds of moving water through the closed door in the adjacent wall.

Shaking his head and smiling wryly, Ein threw off his belt and jacket onto the freshly-made bed, pulling his shoes off and leaving them by the wall before opening the door.

"I thought I'd find you in here," he said with quiet triumph as Ledah turned, a slightly startled expression on his face.

Apparently just about to get into the water that filled the large, two-person marble basin he was standing before, Ledah had already stripped off his clothes, which lay in a neat pile on a small wooden stool that lay beside the door. That suited Ein perfectly well—although it was something he got to see on a daily basis, he never tired of watching Ledah in the nude.

There were good reasons for this, at least from Ein's perspective. Even among angels, who were known as one of the fairest races of the world (one of, not _the, _Ein would always say, and point out that he was plain enough to disqualify their people in the running), Ledah was a beautiful man. Beautiful rather than handsome; the latter description simply was not adequate in the view of more than just Ein. Ledah had nearly austere fair coloring; his skin was pale almost to the point of albinism, and his hair a rich and wild golden-blonde. Even though Ein rarely admitted it to people other than himself, he thought that Ledah's highly inattentive way of dealing with his hair when it got too long only enhanced the older angel's natural beauty… _especially _when that unevenly cut hair was wet. The tufted ends always clung to Ledah's skin when dampened, tracing around the nape of his neck in a particularly appealing way.

Trained in self-defense out of necessity at a very young age, Ledah had kept himself in shape his entire life (while not curled into a chair next to one of the low lamps in Asgard's library, his nose deep in some piece of obscure literature), and it had paid off. The frame of his body, while solid, remained lean, with faint suggestions of his toned muscles rippling occasionally under his skin. When he was naked, the state of his body helped to show off all the little things about him Ein loved—the sharp dip of his clavicle, the angled bones of his hips, his flat belly and the perfect cup of his navel. Of course, it also showed off the fact that Ledah was still an inch longer than him, which drove Ein crazy (in the end, it was the only thing he wouldn't be able to do anything about).

A lot more of Ledah's beauty, however, was in his intense and level gaze, directed by his striking, soft-lashed carmine eyes. His body was the envy of angels, some had said, but his face was the envy of gods. Others had said that this was just because the Rozwelli family supposedly carried some divine blood, but Ein didn't much care. All that was important to him was that this was the face (and the heart behind it) that he'd fallen in love with. Aside from his dramatic eyes, Ledah also possessed straight brows, high cheekbones, and full, sensitive lips. There was stubbornness and pride in the set of his features, but deep sympathy and tenderness as well. As it always did unless Ledah had it tucked back behind his ears or tied with a small leather thong, the angel's soft blonde hair spilled into his face, framing his cheeks and partially screening his eyes. As usual, Ein had to clasp his hands behind his back in order to keep himself from going over to Ledah and, under the pretense of straightening those wild, fluffy locks, playing with his hair.

Ledah turned partially towards Ein, crossing his arms somewhat protectively over his chest, his black wings shifting in slight embarrassment. As he did, the glossy feathers caught the light, shining with blue highlights. Though delicate like any creature's wings would be, Ledah's were still very powerful, capable of carrying not only their owner but Ein as well (at reasonable stretches of time) through the air. When fully spread, they had a span of nearly sixteen feet, with the longest pinions each measuring about seven inches. Though he considered them just as beautiful as everything else about Ledah, sometimes Ein was unable to look at his lover's wings without the long ache at the loss of his own resurfacing in his heart.

Managing to avoid such unhappy thoughts, Ein padded over the floor to loosely put his arms around Ledah's waist. "Hi," he said softly, moving one finger up and down over the ridge of Ledah's spine.

"Hello to you, too," Ledah murmured, giving in and lightly resting his arms around Ein's body as well. Back when Ein had started letting Ledah take the dominant role if he ever wanted to during their lovemaking, he hoped that it would cure his lover of his tendency to submit to Ein's will most of the time (within reason, of course). It hadn't. "Besides the usual, is there something you want?"

Ein didn't answer the question right away; instead, he lightly skimmed his fingers over the surface of the warm bathwater behind the two of them, causing the surface to ripple and glitter in the light. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes," Ledah said simply, resting his cheek against Ein's forehead and turning slightly in the younger man's hold to look. They were silent for a moment; at last, Ledah straightened up, looking Ein up and down. "What has it been for the past week or so, then, Ecthel?"

"Some carpentry and some plowing," Ein replied. If anyone other than Ledah called him by his full name, Ein would complain; Ledah himself only used the name Ecthel at his most loving or serious moments (and during sex, when he didn't seem able to help himself), which was part of the reason Ein didn't mind. "And you're still helping the Magic Guild sort out that accident waiting to happen that they call their bookshelves, aren't you."

Ledah nodded, then gently drew his hand over Ein's abdomen. "You've been getting defined. All this must be good for you, then."

Ein squirmed. "Will you _stop _that? It tickles!" (Ledah, smiling somewhat mischievously, grazed Ein's belly with his fingertips twice more before withdrawing.) "It may not be the work at all, you know." There was a suggestive slant to his words as he began to grin crookedly. "You know what they say, after all. And that certainly _does _seem to be a way to get nice, prominent abs."

"Ein, you are an incurable pervert." Nevertheless, Ledah was smiling again.

"You seem to enjoy it, though."

"…So, I take this to mean that you _don't _want anything other than the usual?" Ledah asked, resting his hands on Ein's hips and slipping his thumbs under the waistband of his shorts and the loincloth beneath them.

"Not really. Why? Is it now a crime to want to enjoy your beautiful body at close quarters?" Ein teased, his fingertips tracing an intricate pattern over the small of Ledah's back.

"Maybe it wouldn't be if you didn't want to 'enjoy' my so-called beautiful body at least six times every day," Ledah retorted, softly tossing his hair and rolling his carmine eyes. "In addition to being a pervert, you are also incurably horny. …No, I don't have any problem, but would you mind _not _taking it into the bathtub? I'd still like to get _clean _after this, and it's hard to get clean in water someone's come in."

"As long as I can get in with you."

"Then I shall obviously have to make sure that you are quite thoroughly sated beforehand, shan't I?" His grip on Ein's clothes firmer now, he slipped shorts and loincloth down his lover's hips; Ein stepped his right foot out of them and kicked them towards the wall with a flick of his left ankle that had been perfected over six years of vigorous and usually spontaneous sex all over the house.

Ein slipped his left hand behind the nape of Ledah's neck, drew his lover towards him, and kissed him soft and sweet, shifting only briefly for air before closing again, a little rougher this time. After a moment's pause, he felt his lover's lips part as he yielded, their kiss deepening as Ein pressed Ledah's back against the smoothness of the stone bath.

Gently, Ledah reached out and pulled Ein's right forearm up to chest level, very slowly and carefully undoing its linen wrapping. The two of them were silent but for the quiet rush of their mingled breath; Ein suppressed a shiver of anticipation as Ledah gave his other forearm the same tender treatment. Casting the strips of linen aside, Ein let his lips rest on the pulsing, vulnerable artery under the soft side of Ledah's throat, nibbling gently before kissing that sensitive spot, drawing the skin between his teeth, and sucking gently. He wanted to be sure this left vivid marks all down his lover's body. As he repeated his movements, sliding his hands up Ledah's sides so that his thumbs and forefingers briefly grazed his lover's nipples, he heard and felt his lover give a long, low, enthralled-sounding moan.

Feeling both playful and aggressive, Ein trailed kisses over Ledah's collarbones, inching down along his chest. Squeezing his lover's hips, he murmured, "Show me you love it, or I'll bite," in a soft singsong tone.

"Ein—what? I…" Ledah started, confused, then gasped as his lover kissed, then licked at his left nipple insistently.

"Louder," Ein commanded in a whisper, relishing Ledah's tense shiver at the feel of his breath. He grazed his teeth over the same spot, provoking a choked cry that Ledah tried to fight by gritting his teeth. "I told you _louder," _he moaned, and bit hard.

Involuntarily pushing his hips forward, Ledah half-shouted and half-sobbed with the intense meld of pleasure and pain. Smiling darkly, Ein continued downwards, sparing a brief nibble at Ledah's navel before kneeling completely and taking fierce hold of his lover's erection.

Ledah shivered, let out a tiny helpless cry, and arced his body inwards, clutching the marble behind him as his eyes squeezed shut in the intensity of his strangled throes. For his part, Ein dug his nails into Ledah's hips as he worked more fiercely than ever before, tasting the throbbing blood under Ledah's skin as he strained for the release, flicking the tip of his tongue over the head as he pressed his teeth down insistently. He could hear his lover's breath rasping as he gasped for air, could feel the tension beneath his hands as Ledah struggled between holding and at the same time pressing himself further past Ein's lips, half-thrusting automatically at the demanding man who knelt suckling at his groin.

As the pressure culminated and overwhelmed his will, Ledah cried his lover's name and came hard, panting desperately for breath as Ein let out a muted, satisfied moan, reveling in Ledah's taste until it ended, and he let go, taking the blonde's full weight as Ledah collapsed into his arms, still breathing hard, his skin coated in the thin sheen of sweat.

Murmuring softly, Ein found Ledah's lips and kissed him, but after a few moments the blonde backed away with a slight grimace. "I'll never get used to how bitter it is."

"We always taste bitter to ourselves," Ein told him with a shrug. "But if you ever did it to me, you'd understand why I love it so much. You just taste so damn _good _to me…" Crooning, Ein turned the word into a throaty moan.

"Thank you, but no. Yes, it feels nice on my end, but I still like actual _sex _better."

"Oral is a kind of sex."

"Maybe that's true, but I'm still feeling you _there _when I want to feel you _here _or put myself inside you. It's never enough in the end—it just makes me want you so bad it hurts." Lacing his fingers together at the nape of Ein's neck, Ledah squeezed his lover's waist with his thighs and gently thrust into the brunet's belly. "Gods, Ecthel, just take me. I can't bear it much longer."

"I will. Just a second." Stretching up, Ein scooped some of the as-yet-unused bathwater into his hand, using it to briefly rinse most of Ledah's taste out of his mouth. He kissed his lover deeply, bending Ledah backwards though he kept the blonde's upper back off the floor. Running a hand along Ledah's right wing, he pulled away and murmured, "Better?" in a soft and husky voice.

_"Much," _Ledah sighed, obviously unaware of what Ein was really doing. At least until Ein's fingers found a suitably loose feather and tugged it out.

Ledah was sobbing out Ein's name from the moment the black feather's tip touched his skin, trembling as Ein traced meandering patterns over the skin of his lover's chest and abdomen. Dancing it over the hypersensitive skin of Ledah's lower belly, inner thighs, and the soft spot just between his wings, Ein couldn't help but smile wickedly. Even after everything they'd experienced over the past six years, Ledah's feathers were still his favorite sex toys.

Taking the time first to slowly trace the feather's tip over the full length of his lover's erection and then briefly flick it back between his legs, Ein set it aside, pushed Ledah's thighs up, and gave in to the urgent pulse of hunger, penetrating the blonde and thrusting hard.

Slamming his hips into Ledah's repeatedly, Ein felt heat rush into his cheeks and knew he was already in trouble; after teasing himself with their prolonged, potently erotic foreplay, he found that he just _couldn't _hold even though he tried his best. His own screams of his lover's name blotting out Ledah's fevered moans, Ein let his mind go completely blank.

"Ledah… Ledah… Ledah… _Ledah…!"_

And then, the vicious spurt of his seed into Ledah's body, as some small part of him thought in amazement, _Six. I only made it to six…_

Gasping, Ein withdrew, already trembling from utter exhaustion. It was only long afterwards that he would realize that there had been something amiss; as it was, it took him completely off-guard when Ledah roughly rolled him over, pushing him flat on his back and stabbing into him.

Ein gasped, his eyes rolling back in his head as something in his throat clutched, preventing him from doing anything but letting out a long, tortured-sounding sob of pleasure. For once in his life, Ledah was completely merciless, thrusting hard and fast without any kind of pause.

For how long they stayed that way, Ein could not recall. All he knew was that by the end, he was hard again, and as Ledah came as viciously as Ein himself had done, he was brought to a second climax, letting go mere moments after his lover did. Whatever had blocked his speech died in his throes of ecstasy, and he shrieked Ledah's name until both of them were spent.

---

"I still can't believe you did that," Ein murmured, even now seeming unable to open his eyes more than halfway.

Gently brushing the washcloth over his lover's forehead, Ledah replied, and Ein could hear the wry smile in his voice even if he couldn't see it. "Well, it was your own fault for deciding to sodomize me with my own feather. Again. I hate it when you do that for a _reason_, you know. It tends to drive all rational thought out of my mind."

"You seemed to like it," Ein protested weakly.

"And I do. I _hate _it, but I can't help loving it, even so. _Gods, _it turns me on."

The two of them were sitting curled together in the marble tub, taking the time to relax and soak the soreness of their brutal lovemaking out of their bodies. Ledah, leaning against the marble side, had his wings stretched out, resting over each side to trail on the floor. Ein leaned in a weak and unresisting slump against his lover's chest; he sat between Ledah's legs, with the older angel's free arm wrapped supportively around him.

Gently squeezing out the washcloth so that water would drip along the nape of Ein's neck, Ledah went on. "That's exactly why I hate it, you know. When I'm driven out of control like that, I could hurt you so easily… and I never, ever, _ever _want to hurt you, my dear. I pushed you too hard, and I'm so sorry."

"I push you twice as hard," Ein said sleepily. "I deserved it…" He stretched lethargically, then resettled. "And it just felt so good, you know…?"

Ledah smiled, then leaned down to kiss the top of his lover's head. "I think this is about as clean as we're going to get you. Here… let's get you dried off and into bed; I'll be along when I finish."

---

"Hey, wake up, stupid! Are you just going to sleep all day?"

Ein groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. "Go'way!"

"I am _not _going to go away. Get up! You have a guest!"

Reluctantly, Ein opened his eyes a slit. His old familiar, Rose, was leaning over him with an angry scowl on her face. Wearing her black hair loose, Rose was given an even more severe look than usual, especially glaring in such a schoolmarmish way. She wore her usual black dress, with her gloved hands planted on her hips, her cat's ears pinned back, and her emerald-green eyes narrowed irritably. Originally assigned to help Ein learn when he had just been made a Grim Angel, Rose had become a bit of a younger sister to him. At times like these, she certainly nagged like one.

"Ledah, do I _have _to—" Ein started, groaning, then stared. Ledah was already standing, tying his white ruff with a serious expression.

"Ein, you _must _get yourself dressed," he said softly and gravely. "I have no idea why, but…"

"It's Celina," Rose interrupted, hauling the sheets off Ein, who let out an instinctive yelp of protest and tried to cover himself as best he could. "And if you don't want me hauling you out in front of her as naked as the day you were born, I'd suggest you get some clothes on."

_"WHAT?" _Ein sat up, completely forgetting about covering. "Celina? _Here? _Now? _Why?"_

"I don't know," Rose said with a shrug, throwing Ein's discarded pants and loincloth at him. "Here. She just said it was important, and could I kindly get you because she'd like to speak with you."

Groaning, Ein yanked both garments on, then went digging for his sleeveless undershirt. "Why didn't you _tell _me?"

"Believe me, I tried. You sleep like a rock when you've been having sex. I would've slapped you awake, but Ledah asked me not to, so I just had to yell."

Pulling the undershirt over his head, Ein cast about briefly for his jacket and belt. Ledah picked them off the floor and held them out to him; sighing with relief, the wingless angel put them on, cinching his belt tightly and slipping on his shoes from where he'd dumped them.

"You ready? Then let's get going. Celina looks serious, so I don't want to keep her waiting long."

Grabbing each Grim Angel by the wrist, Rose dragged them into the kitchen, where Celina the Just was waiting.

Clad in the billowing robes favored by each of the Six Magi, Celina "stood" (hovered about a foot off the ground) in the middle of the kitchen, looking exceedingly out of place and not seeming to give half a shit about it. Unlike Hector, who had gone around swathed in bluish-purple, Celina was dressed in rich scarlet, with the omega marked on the front of her hood in dark mahogany. Two long tufts of her auburn hair trailed onto her chest; as her hood was pushed back far enough to expose her full face, Ein could see that her coppery red bangs also hung into her face, though they did not obscure her almond-shaped eyes, which were the color of oxidized blood.

"It's good to see the two of you on such short notice," Celina said mildly, her eyes glinting briefly with humor.

"Dear Hela, I am sorry about that," Ein said, shaking his head and tugging at his collar.

"I'll just leave you guys alone to deal with whatever it is," Rose said with an offhand wave, and left, her curling tail flashing in the doorway before she closed it behind her.

Turning to face Celina, Ledah bowed, his face smooth and expressionless though his eyes were sharp and alert. "Celina-sama. What is it that the Magi require of us?"

"I don't have a new job for you, in case you're wondering," Celina began slowly.

Instantly, a great deal of Ein and Ledah's formality fell away. "Really? Then what is it?"

"Don't relax just yet. This is _very _important. You know that we of Asgard have been devoting our time to research on how we can help Grim Angels recover from their losses during the transformation… partially to help the two of you, and also in case more of your kind ever need to be brought into this world. Well, I'm here to tell you that all that research has _finally _borne some satisfactory results.

"Ein, there may be a way for you to win back your wings."

Ledah slipped his hand into Ein's and squeezed it hard.

Ein himself was staring at Celina in complete incomprehension. "I don't… I don't understand…"

"Of course, we can't _physically _restore your wings to your body, but if we're able to get at their true essence, then we can fix a spell in which you can call your wings back to you _spiritually. _You wouldn't be able to maintain them for very long, but you would be able to fly again if you needed to.

"Don't look at me like that, Ein. This is going to be _very _dangerous, and it will involve battle against a foe several times more powerful than Hades. In all likelihood, both of you could end up dead or crippled for life, even if the trial eventually succeeds."

"We've gone against those kinds of odds before," Ledah said softly, his hand still held tight in Ein's. "If it means that Ein could have his wings back in _any _form…"

"I don't _care _about the risks," Ein managed at last, his voice strained and passionate. "To be able to fly again, by _myself… _I never dreamed I would even have the chance…!"

"You might care later… So you're willing, then?" Celina asked. Ein nodded wordlessly. "I expected that you would be, of course. But, Ledah, are _you _certain?"

Ledah blinked. "I… of course I am. I would do anything for Ecthel, you know that."

"I absolutely _must _have your consent on this, after all. The two of you have _no _idea just how dangerous this trial is going to be…" Celina shook her head. "You may actually be better off as you are now, but it's your choice. Very well. Come to Asgard as soon as you can, and I will explain the trial to you in full. Even then, you'll have the chance to turn around, but once that trial starts, it's either succeed or die, just like so many of the other situations you've gotten yourselves into in the past. I expect to see you soon."

There was a flash of light, and she was gone.

Ledah turned Ein to face him, and squeezed his lover's shoulders. "Can you believe it? A real chance to win back your wings…"

Ein brushed at his cheeks, trying to hide the tears of shocked, disbelieving joy. "I… I… Ah, _gods, _what would we do without her? Celina's done so much for us all these years…"

Ledah smiled, then leaned forward and kissed his lover's forehead. "Go on, Ecthel. You need to tell everyone what we're going to be doing. I'll do the packing, alright?"

"I… I… okay…" Turning back and forth, seeming not to know what to do with his hands, Ein headed out of the house, staggering in shock.

Ledah smiled after him, then sobered.

_This is what he's needed, so much… so why do I have such a bad feeling about it…?_

:TBC:


	2. Memory

Jugement du Ciel

See disclaimer in chapter 1

It was the music that woke Ein.

He and Ledah had been on the road for a few days already, heading for Heaven's Gate in what had to be record time. So far, they hadn't been sidetracked by anyone or anything (a definite first), and even demon attacks had been rare. The last time they'd had to travel this road, Riviera's demon population had still been quite prolific. Thanks in part to Serene's hard work, this was no longer so; the two angels had dealt with a few brigands and one wayward vampire, but that was it. The peace was beautiful, and Ein, who loved traveling, thought he would savor as much of it as he could.

They traveled fairly lightly, with a small tent and futon attached to Ein's pack (Ledah's wings made strapping anything to his own bags too unwieldy; he apologized frequently, but Ein demurred, replying in truth that thanks to all the work he'd done in Elendia, he barely felt the added weight) and a few changes of clothes in both of their supplies. Ledah was carrying most of the trail essentials—a little bit of jerked meat and dried fruit along with tinder, a few potions, and their joint purse. Every night when they found a campsite, they would place their Diviners outside in order to protect the area from intrusion, then set the tent, start a fire, eat, and unroll the futon in order to sleep, at least after they'd been well through with each other first. Ein and Ledah were well used to traveling, and even after an entire day of walking and hunting, they were rarely too tired for lovemaking.

As it was, the faint light through the tent's fabric led Ein to believe that it was only slightly past dawn; he usually slept a little later, as Ledah liked to wake early and get breakfast or tea ready, also using his early rising as a chance to perform his daily ablutions without being ambushed by Ein with his clothes off. Whenever that happened, Ein refused to let him get away until he'd been ravished against whatever was around for the wingless angel to pin his lover on. Ledah made an art of avoiding Ein in the morning, when his somewhat overenthusiastic lover was usually too sleepy to really think about where Ledah would go to stay safe from him. Excepting sex, Ein went to bed early and slept late, whereas Ledah's favorite times of day were often the early morning and late night.

A little disgruntled about being awakened so early, Ein rooted around for his loincloth and shorts, slipping them on before he folded back the tent flap and headed outside.

There was a small fire going, with a pot of steaming water suspended neatly over it. The music Ein had heard, however, was coming from the trunk of the venerable tree that the two angels had decided to set their camp beside. It had been felled, apparently recently, and while the branches had already been removed for whatever purpose, the giant log of the trunk still lay within the clearing, next to the stump. (Ein had shaken his head at this waste, though he knew the loggers would be coming back for it soon enough, while Ledah had lamented the loss of such an ancient and beautiful tree.)

It was upon this abandoned tree trunk that Ledah sat, his legs crossed at the ankles with the tips of his toes just touching the ground, his wings held properly back behind him. He was dressed in his soft black robes today, and had not yet put on his cloak, so his blonde hair and pale skin seemed all the fairer. His eyes were closed, with their soft lashes brushing his cheeks; he hadn't yet noticed Ein's arrival and seemed a million miles away from everything. His hands, fingers arched, rested in perfect position upon the keys of his silver flute.

Ein was a little surprised that Ledah had chosen to bring this flute along—it was his favorite _and _the best he owned; the others were all made of various types of wood, and required a lot less care. (A few of the wooden ones had actually been gifts from Ein, who with help from various residents of Elendia had actually whittled parts of them himself on some.) But Ledah told him (often) that the silver flute had the best timbre of any he had played; whenever he thought he'd be feeling musical on a trip, it was either the silver or the (pricey) maplewood Ein had purchased for Ledah's thirtieth birthday that came along. Ein supposed that Ledah found the quality to be worth the hassle involved.

Traditional education in Asgard required that students have at least one year of instruction in the playing of some instrument; Ein was a good hand with the trumpet and their old friend (and later enemy) Malice, as a noble, had received strict tutoring on the harp, but Ledah, as was his wont, had gone above and beyond with his studies. He was an excellent flautist. Losing himself as easily in his music as he did in his favorite books, Ledah was still striving for perfection in his playing and in Ein's opinion was definitely almost there. Ein recognized the music he was playing as an old favorite in Asgard, a lay that had been written to suit the old legend about the young princess Yggdra and her struggles to save her kingdom from the invaders threatening to destroy it completely. Well-loved though it was, it was a difficult piece, and it had taken several months for Ledah to master it when the two of them had still lived in Asgard.

Ein remembered the occasion well—he had been nine years old at the time, and Ledah sixteen. The blonde had been chosen to play the accompaniment for the two singers—Malice and her vocal tutor—who had been appointed to play Yggdra and the champion she had found to fight beside her, whose name always seemed to slip from Ein's mind, as he had always been more interested in the ballads sung about Ragnarok instead. It had been an enormous honor, and Ledah had been studying hard to be able to play the piece correctly, but…

Frowning, Ein recalled how Ledah had suddenly and abruptly gone into a severe bout of depression mere weeks before the festival was to have taken place. People whispered that something traumatic must have happened to him, something even worse than the ordeals he'd gone through with his abusive parents—it wasn't for years that Ein learned the full story. The very young and naïve Ledah had been in love for the first time, but the man whose heart he thought he'd won only had a sexual interest in him. Ledah's would-be lover, not at all a gentle man, had named the blonde's virginity as the price for his affection, and too afraid of being rejected to refuse, Ledah was coerced into sex for the first time. It had been a painful and frightening experience for him, and in the end the man he'd shared his bed with (Ledah had never revealed his identity to Ein) had decided he wasn't worth it and left him.

So in the end, the heartbroken Ledah had gone to pieces just as he mastered the lay, and been unable to even think of music for weeks. Another flautist had to be found, as Ledah's will to play had been utterly shattered by his loss. Ein remembered well how his old friend had retreated into himself, curled in bed and usually crying, for days on end.

Then the unthinkable had happened—Malice's tutor, the singer who'd been doing the baritone part of the lay (_Milanor, _Ein remembered; the name of the champion had been Milanor), had become ill, with no replacements. The festival planners hadn't thought to get an understudy for the role, and it seemed as though the piece wouldn't be performed at all. Ein had innocently brought it up in a conversation with Ledah, who was all too slowly recovering his shattered nerves—and Ledah had gone straight down to the maestro, new flautist, and Malice herself and told them grimly that he could sing the part.

He had, too—it was the only time that Ledah had really volunteered to sing in public, as he was a lot shyer about his singing than he was with his playing. Ein, whose musical skill was limited to brass playing, knew very well that Ledah's singing was just as beautiful as his skills with the flute. His soft and melodious baritone had been the counterpoint to the then twelve-year-old Malice's soprano, and effectively saved the day.

Ledah had been chosen as the lay's flautist again the next year, and he had buckled down to study of the music, refusing to let anything get in his way again. At seventeen, he outstripped almost every other flautist in Asgard, and he had gone on to play the same piece at the festival every year until he was made a Grim Angel, shutting romance out of his life in exchange for music. And until Ein, he'd never taken another lover.

Ein was shaken out of his thoughts as Ledah ended his last sustained note, lowered the flute to his lap, and took a few moments to breathe, his carmine eyes registering only mild surprise at his lover's presence.

"Good morning," Ein said with a smile.

Ledah smiled back, neatly disassembled the flute, and set it back into its velvet-lined case with care. "And to you as well." Closing the case's latches with a click, he slid off the log, walked over to Ein, and put his arms around the other angel's waist, resting his cheek on Ein's shoulder.

"Memories, huh?" Ein asked, stroking Ledah's hair.

"Memories," Ledah agreed with a soft sigh.

"You still play so beautifully. I guess you really did engrave it in your memory all those years ago," Ein told him, smiling.

"Out of sheer stubbornness, nothing more. I wanted to prove how little all that mess had hurt, to myself and all of Asgard. Especially to _him. _I think all I really did prove was that it had hurt, badly."

"What you _proved," _Ein argued, "was that you were stronger than he ever thought you were. That you were too good for his kind."

Ledah straightened up and looked lovingly into Ein's eyes. "I am yours and only yours, my love."

Ein slipped his hand over the nape of Ledah's neck, drew close to him, and locked gazes with him. "You will _always _be mine, Ledah. No matter what came before." And he leaned in, with Ledah coming that last fraction of an inch for their lips to meet.

Ein put a life's worth of love into that kiss, in the tender press of his lips to his lover's before he felt Ledah yield, then in the soft shift before he sensuously slipped his tongue past his love's parted lips. Distantly, he heard the clatter as Ledah's grip on his flute's case weakened and failed, but dismissed it. He did take notice when Ledah put fiercely needful arms around him, gently pressing down the pads of his fingers rather than his nails. Ein shifted again to breathe and tenderly kissed along the vulnerable lines of Ledah's throat before allowing their lips to meet again, almost overly gentle as if Ledah were still that frail and easily manipulated child from all those years ago, and Ein the lover he should've met back then.

Ledah drew back with a silent question in his carmine eyes, his hair ruffled with Ein's continued stroking and his lips still slightly parted. It made him look innocent enough that he could've been half his age once again.

Ein smiled, ran his thumb over his lover's slightly flushed cheek, and then tousled his golden hair, making it fluff even more wildly. "Nah, don't worry about it—there'll be plenty of time for that once we get to Asgard." Leaning in to kiss Ledah's other cheek and embrace him tightly, Ein then let go, heading back towards the fire. "I'll make breakfast, you just take it easy—play me something, okay?"

Ledah nodded, smiling in return.

---

Ein and Ledah had barely gotten out of the forest when they reached the magic circle that would take them into Heaven's Gate.

One simple step onto the formerly sealed circle, and the pair of them were whisked away to the barren, rocky landscape of the temple which housed the link between Asgard and Riviera.

"This must be the fastest we've ever gone from Elendia to here," Ein remarked, shaking his head. "It's crazy. We might even get to Asgard tonight, if we hurry."

"Then let us be glad of it," Ledah murmured. "The sooner we get there, the sooner Celina can tell us how to get back your wings."

"Yeah…" Sharp, chilly prickles of excitement wavered over Ein's scarred back at the thought, and he shivered with anticipation.

As they walked, their footsteps echoed on the stone. Remembering the two other times they'd traveled this road, Ein slipped his gloved hand into Ledah's and squeezed it. Ledah squeezed Ein's hand in return, giving his lover a mixed amused and reassuring look.

Heaven's Gate seemed almost deserted; remote and removed from all life except the two angels who traversed it, its otherwise dead beauty formed a stunning solitary backdrop for their love of the quiet peace around them.

It was that remote silence that probably saved the two Grim Angels a great deal of trouble as they went their way, for without it they would not have heard the whispers and would have walked straight into danger.

As it was, Ledah stopped in the middle of the pair's walk with a frown, clamping a hand over Ein's mouth as his lover paused and began to ask what was wrong. Shaking his head, he padded over the fractured walkways of the old temple and beckoned, an intent expression on his features and a hand cupped at his ear.

Ein came as well, making as little sound and starting to frown a bit deeper. Curse it, he'd been looking forward to a trip with no further trouble.

He and Ledah could both hear it clearly now…

"Why d'we 'ave to take this rounderbout way? It's courtin' death to be passin' so close to Asgard, say aye!" Whoever was speaking had a heavy accent that wasn't immediately recognizable to either Grim Angel.

"Shurrup yer whinin'. Nobody'll _evah _think ta look fer us 'ere."

Clinking mail and creaking leather accompanied both voices. Whoever these intruders were, they were armed, and that combined with their dubious dialogue probably meant that they were up to no good.

Very carefully, Ein shed his pack; Ledah did the same. Both angels lowered their belongings gently to the ruined tile so as not to make any loud noises; they then turned to each other and discussed their plan of action in quick and furious hand signals. Coming to an accord, they straightened up, with Ledah hidden behind the pillars that sheltered the bend in the corridor they traversed. Ein, ready to whip out Einherjar at a moment's notice, headed out into the open.

The intruders were a ragtag, ruffled band of demons, mostly spiky-haired brigands with falchions and men in soldier's dress. Ein couldn't be sure, but he thought he caught sight of one or two lance-toting undead hidden in their ranks. There were about ten or twelve of them in all, and they had a particularly guilty, skulking look about them.

The leader, catching sight of Ein, gasped and lurched backwards. _"Bloody 'ell!"_

"Take it easy, 'e's nothin' to be worrit about," one of the soldiers said laughingly. "Angels 'ave wings, and 'e 'as none, say aye. And you ascairt of finding Death-Bring out 'ere!" Various men in the ranks chuckled at this.

"Easy is as easy does, friends," Ein said with a affable (if somewhat mocking) smile. "Now, what business would you have in Heaven's Gate that has you so worried about angels?"

"What's _your _business, I'd like to know," the leader demanded suspiciously.

"I'm meeting up with my employer." Well, it was as true as these demons needed. "And you?" Always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, Ein had furiously protested to Ledah that these might be a few of the peaceful demons scattered throughout the lands, willing to coexist with Sprites. They were very far between, but it was possible. And so he was out here, partly as a ruse and partly to figure out what was going on.

"There, ya see? 'E's just an 'umble sneak thief like us!" Roars of laughter this time.

"Sneak thief? You don't say?" Ein raised an eyebrow, his smile becoming wry.

"They tell us there's treasures 'ere in 'Eaven's Gate, they does," a demon soldier informed him. "And what the bloody 'ell but they're right! Takes us a while to find say aye, but it be there, so it do."

Another soldier piped in as well. "In some auld shrine hidden in the they says there be a Cup o' Wishes—"

"And we finds the shrine after _days _of searchin'," a third soldier added, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly.

The second soldier went on. "—And in that shrine a Cup o' Wishes there be! We's all gonna be rich men when we meets up with our masters!"

"What shrine would this be?" Ein inquired, with only the mildest curiosity. His hands, clasped behind his back, went tight; his muscles locked and his entire body tensed. "Surely not the old Grim Angels' refuge hidden in the sacred grotto?" That had been a place that Ein and Ledah themselves had passed and taken their rest in during their journey to Riviera years ago. During Ragnarok, a party of Grim Angels had hidden there while Hector's Grenada Fortress had come under siege, and by luck, wits, and main strength alone they had kept the demon army out of Asgard until the gods and the three Magi who had remained to defend the city—Minerva, Ashcroft, and Celina herself—had been able to send reinforcements. Every one of the Grim Angels had died in the course of their duties, and so the gods had laid powerful blessings upon the tiny shrine. It was a holy sanctum, and if these demons had despoiled it…

"O' course, what does you think we'd do?" the first soldier asked incredulously.

Ein fought to keep from gritting his teeth. "A real Cup of Wishes… may I see it, just to make sure you don't bluff?"

The leader of the band of thieves opened his mouth to refuse, but Ein held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I only need one look to confirm that what you say is true. I won't need to touch it—if this is a true Cup of Wishes as you claim, I would run the risk of breaking it."

Reluctantly, the thief grubbed in his vest, holding out a chalice of delicate blue crystal. Ein stifled a gasp. Cups of Wishes were as precious as they were rare, worth thousands of times their weight in solid gold—and not just for the truly beautiful workmanship of the crystal itself. The Cups of Wishes dated back to Ragnarok; they had been made with excess stores of the gods' mana in a similar fashion to the way that Mana Wisps were raw essences of the Sprites'. Even with the inclusion of Elixirs, the powerful draughts that were a miracle of modern healing, Cups of Wishes held the most potent cures of anything born or made.

They had the power to stay the hand of death itself.

Cups of Wishes could heal mortal injuries, could restore the souls to the corpses of the newly dead. They shattered after a single usage, and as only a set number had been made with their means of forging lost forever when the gods had died, there were very few of them left intact. One of the last Cups of Wishes in Asgard had been given to Ein and Ledah when they had left for Riviera eight years ago; when in the battle with Aghart, Ein had been attacked from behind and his spinal cord severed neatly at the nape of his neck—causing instant death—Ledah had used the precious item to bring him back to life. The shaken but still battle-ready Ein had just ended up getting in the way again; with Aghart spewing flame at him and no escape, he surely would've died for good had Ledah not covered Ein's body with his own, sustaining third-degree burns from his shoulders to his hips. Those, thank the gods, had easily been healed with the power of their sole Elixir.

The pawning of one of Asgard's holiest treasures in this manner, as well as the desecration of the holy resting place of so many of his fellow Grim Angels… could _not _be allowed.

"I'm afraid I can't let you keep that," Ein said sternly, his placid façade dropping instantly away.

"Yer gonna try to take it?" the leader of the thieves asked incredulously, slipping the Cup of Wishes back into his jerkin. "You and what army?"

"I don't need one," Ein informed them, and slowly drew Einherjar, pointing it at the offending thieves. "I have this."

"A sword…?" one of the soldiers said, sounding perplexed.

"In the name of the gods, I will strike you down with my holy Diviner unless you give back the treasure you have stolen unto this servant of Asgard," Ein vowed.

The thieves all blanched, but their leader waved them to attention.

"E's only one man! Take 'im!"

And the peons swept forward.

Ein lunged into their midst, thrusting Einherjar through the belly of one thief and then swinging around to behead a second. As their rusty, twisted blades rained down through the air, Ein went to his knees and rolled through their ranks, running along and slashing their backs, sending them to the ground wailing in pain.

The remaining thieves ran out in a swarm to block Ein off from their leader, who was making good his getaway; Ein swore. "I don't have the time for this—!" Sweeping Einherjar back into a ready position, he felt his blood surge and burn with the power that had lain latent there since his birth. His blade glowed with holy green light, his gray-blue eyes maddened by battle. "This is the will of the gods!"

Sweeping Einherjar forwards, Ein slashed waves of holy power through the demons, launching himself headlong into their midst. Leaping up into the air, he brought his Diviner up over his head, the muscles of his upper arms rippling.

**"DISARESTA!"**

And he brought the blade screaming down, sending a shockwave of energy through the demons.

Most crumpled to the ground, mortally wounded or slain; as Ein landed and dashed towards the fleeing thief, he swore again as he realized that he was still being followed.

"LEDAH!"

There was a grand sweep behind him as the floor was suddenly littered with black feathers, and Ledah's sonorous voice rang through the crumbling halls.

"Burn in the flames of judgment… **ROSE KREUZ!"**

Fire flickered at the edges of Ein's vision; he heard the demon thieves' screaming and almost shuddered. Ledah was utterly merciless in battle; he knew it quite well.

Ein heard a dismayed cry before him, and realized with mingled shock and relief that he'd managed to hedge the demons' leader against a dead end.

Sweating, the spiky-haired brigand raised his falchion in one hand, clutching at the Cup of Wishes under his jerkin with the other. "You… you're a Grim Angel…?"

Ein held out Einherjar. "My name is Ein Legendra. My companion is Ledah Rozwelli. We are the servants of the gods, of Lady Celina the Just of the Six Magi. Give back what you stole."

The brigand glared, slowly removed the Cup of Wishes… and then threw it as hard as he could, straight at the ground. "Better destroyed than in your hands, _angel!"_

_"No!" _Ein shrieked, but he was too far away to do anything about it.

There was a dark flash of wings, and then Ledah was staggering for balance, arms outstretched, with the Cup of Wishes clasped in both hands before him.

The demon's falchion flashed; Ledah tucked the Cup to his chest and lurched backwards, his wings wheeling awkwardly as he struggled to keep on his feet. With a furious yell, Ein sprinted under his lover's wing, thrusting Einherjar forward to transfix the demon brigand. The demon coughed; his eyes rolled, and he slumped to the ground as Ein ripped his Diviner from the body violently. Blood sprayed his face and clothes, but that was all. The demon was dead, and the holy relic had been saved.

Turning to Ledah, Ein cried out as he saw blood streaking down his lover's face. "You're hurt!"

The blonde angel shook his head. "It's merely a scratch. And I take it that little, if any, of that is your own blood?"

Ein nodded. "They didn't get me." Shaking Einherjar to rid it of the dewdrops of blood still clinging to its blade, he sheathed it and slipped his arm around Ledah's waist. "Let's go get our things and keep going. Once we're back in Asgard, hopefully we'll be able to clean ourselves up…"

---

Five hours later, Ein and Ledah were heading through the final magic circle that led along the chain of floating islands which connected Asgard and Riviera. They had reached their destination at last, just at sunset.

Asgard looked much as Ein remembered it: Severe yet elegant buildings wrought from white marble; cobbled streets of brick and stone; tidy grassy lanes between the roads themselves and the pavilions of the angelic residents. The rooftops were lightly gilded, and in the fading sunlight the heavenly city of Asgard flared into light as golden as that which continually drifted through Heaven's Gate.

Suddenly smiling, Ein clasped Ledah's shoulder and pointed. "Look—it's the old library," he said in a murmur. "Remember all the good times we had there as children?"

Ledah nodded, although his expression didn't change and Ein wondered briefly if his lover's face didn't seem a little strained. "…Yes…"

The large building in the city's center, which had once housed the gods themselves, was now used as the Magi's meeting-place; it was there that the two Grim Angels now headed. Ein wondered to himself at how deserted the streets of Asgard seemed—usually there would still be angels outside at this hour, talking or doing business. And where were the children? Curfew had been an hour after sundown, as Ein remembered it.

"We're being watched," Ledah said in a low voice, and Ein took one near-incredulous look at the haunted expression on his lover's face before glancing discreetly around. He, too, began to feel it—the prickle of stares along his back, the sense that the drapery of windows had been lifted when he'd only been looking from the corner of his eye.

Ein and Ledah hadn't exactly been the center of popularity when they'd lived in Asgard; now they would only seem to be more strange, what with Ein's winglessness and Ledah's withdrawn appearance and tight clutch on his lover's hand. Under the suspicious view of the populace, Asgard's old familiar streets felt lifeless and sterile, its grandeur enclosing. Ein scowled at the rising flutter of panic in his chest, stamping it down firmly. He and Ledah were not going to be here long at all—just for however long it took for the two of them to overcome this new trial.

They were at the stone stairs leading to the council building now; pausing for a moment, Ein glanced over his shoulder at the watchers and gave the closed residential districts of Asgard a pained look.

Turning back, the two of them headed inside.

Here, at least, there were soldiers lining the walls, each armed with pikes or halberds, stiff in uniform, bowing the pair of Grim Angels through a series of locked doors which led to the Magi's inner chambers.

Celina waited within.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you until at least tomorrow," she said with a wry smile, which faded when she saw the looks on Ein and Ledah's faces. "Is something wrong? You seem perturbed."

"It's nothing, just…" Ein looked back over his shoulder uncomfortably. "Our welcome was a little bit… frosty."

"One would almost expect the stones to start flying next," Ledah said softly, though he didn't glance back.

An exasperated look crossed Celina's face. "No one said anything unkind to you, did they? _Honestly, _it's not as if you're foreigners or anything—you're generally considered to be the heroes of our people, or the others and I will know why."

"No one said anything at all," Ein told her flatly. "There was no one around…"

"They were watching us from the houses lining the street," Ledah added with a despairing little sigh. "As though they were afraid of approaching, or unwilling to…"

Celina's lips tightened into a grim line. "This kind of hostility will _not _do. I'll have a word with them after you retire—I'll brief you about the trial tomorrow. Unfortunately, we don't really have anywhere special to put you… the only open places are Ein's old quarters and Ledah's family estates. The estates would most likely be more comfortable, but…"

Ledah was already shaking his head emphatically, with something like panic in his eyes.

"…they have been abandoned for years but for the servants who still reside there, and I had presumed that the place would be haunted by too many old specters for you." Celina nodded, looking concerned. "Your old rooms it is, then, Ein. You may find the furnishings too small or simple for you, but it's the best I can do for you right now. We can have them replaced sometime in the duration of your stay if need be."

Ein shook his head. "No, that's okay. Ledah and I are used to living a little more humbly than we did here, and we're comfortable with it."

Celina nodded again. "Well, then. I'll find you tomorrow for the briefing… I trust you still remember the way."

"Yeah…" Bowing, Ein led Ledah back into the corridors, tugging him along by the hand.

After some navigation, Ein finally managed to get his lover to the small rooms they had shared until Ledah had gone through his initiation as a Grim Angel. Ein had lived there since birth; Ledah had moved in at the age of fourteen. The tiny living room and toy room were no longer guarded by soldiers, but that was the only change. Everything was just as Ein had left it when he and Ledah had gone on their fateful journey to Riviera so long ago.

Though these were the old familiar surroundings of his boyhood, Ein wasn't troubled by feelings of nostalgia. Those were reserved almost exclusively for the old library where the two of them had spent most of their time and created most of the good memories they'd had here. Asgard had not been the kindest place for two children like Ein and Ledah to grow up, especially with the scheming Hector trying to control the reins of power.

Opening the door to the bedroom, Ein was brushed aside by Ledah, who threw his bags and Lorelei to the floor near the wall and sat heavily on the old double bed, resting his face in his hands.

A little worried, Ein placed his things on the floor as well, then went to sit beside his lover. "Ledah, what is it? Is something wrong?" Gently shaking the blonde's shoulder, he tried again. "Are you alright? Hey… say something…"

Ledah looked slowly up at Ein with such a palpable expression of bleak pain that Ein's heart twisted in his chest. Silent tears brimmed in his eyes, coursing down his cheeks.

"Hey… hey…" Very gently, with tender concern plain on his face and in his voice, Ein wiped away the tears as they came. "What's wrong? Is there something I can do?"

Ledah closed his eyes; the motion made more tears fall.

"Ledah, _please…"_

The blonde shook his head, curling his legs up to his chest and twining his fingers together at his ankles. "Memories…"

"Memories…?" Ein blinked for a moment, then understood in a rush. "You mean… about when your father…?"

_"Don't," _Ledah cried in such a wild sob that Ein flinched.

"I'm sorry." Ein held Ledah tightly, clutching the other angel's trembling body to his chest.

The blonde seraph looked up at him, wild and distraught and beautiful. "Help me," he whispered.

"What?"

"Please, Ecthel…" Ledah straightened slightly, his pale hands finding an iron grip on Ein's upper arms. "Help me forget…"

And before Ein knew what was happening, their lips were locked together and he had yielded up his mouth instinctively.

Something in the desperate nature of Ledah's kiss sent a sweet fire singing through Ein's veins, sending his rational mind to some distant, misty place and letting his body take over automatically. In what seemed like moments, the two of them were entangled half-naked upon the bed, with Ledah on his back, lying on a pillow so that he would have wing room, and Ein on top of him, lying between his lover's splayed legs.

"Take me," Ledah managed, shaking. "Take me and have done with it…"

Ein shed his shorts and loincloth, struggling impatiently with the fabric, his desire threatening to overwhelm him at any moment. He slid his lover's pants down on his hips, then paused for a moment to catch his breath.

"Gods, _please…" _Ledah half-sobbed. "Ecthel, I'll _die _if you don't…"

"Live," Ein murmured insistently, and came viciously into his lover's body.

Ledah cried out as Ein crushed him into the white sheets, his hands and lips roving hotly over everything he knew would provoke his lover's pleasure. Their union was too intense, too violent for anything but flashes of burning, euphoric flame to flash over their bodies every time Ein thrust. Ledah clung to him with legs clutched tightly around his waist and nails dug desperately into his scarred shoulderblades as Ein forced himself deeper, faster, until the flame of need overwhelmed the both of them.

Ledah screamed as he climaxed, glorying in the deep agony as his body gave under Ein's ferocity, feeling hot lances of pain streak along the lines of Ein's final deepest thrust.

And the two of them came apart and lay entwined amidst the soiled sheets of their virgin's bed.

Sitting up after a brief struggle with his exhausted, protesting muscles, Ein looked down at Ledah's pale body, still finely beaded with perspiration and covered in that faint erotic flush that would have told any onlooker how deeply he had been loved.

"I will protect you," Ein vowed softly, fiercely. "It doesn't matter who I need to protect you from, I _will _protect you. Forever. No one will ever get away with hurting you again—especially not like your father wanted to. You are mine, and will always be mine. And you can feel safe when you're with me."

Ledah sighed, then edged awkwardly to cling to Ein's body, either for the warmth or for the security. Ein carefully pulled the bedclothes around them, tugging one of the other pillows over to rest his cheek against—the one Ledah had used was still soaked in the seraph's sweat.

They lay there for a while, long enough for Ein to think that Ledah had probably gone to sleep and that perhaps he should, as well.

Then Ledah sighed again, shifted, and spoke. "My desire is a hollow thing," he said softly and directly. "It's an ache, an emptiness, and a terror at being so needful. There are blank spaces in my heart and in my body that can only be filled in one way, and I desire when I can't stand the blankness any longer."

Ein was silent for a moment, stroking Ledah's hair as he thought how best to reply. "My desire is… an excess. A need to be needed. A sense of being full to overflowing with… certain things, and the feeling that if I don't find someone else to fill, something in me is going to burst. I can see the empty spaces, Ledah, and… I guess I desire when I can't bear to leave them empty anymore."

Ledah gently took hold of Ein's left hand, then placed it against his lower belly, drawing the unresisting fingers back and forth over the smooth flesh there.

"Fill me," he said simply.

Ein did.

---

Ein lay on his side and watched Ledah sleep.

The blonde was also on his side, facing his lover with his black wings curled slightly behind him and his arms folded softly before him. There was still a little bit of blood between his legs from where he'd been torn earlier in the night; very carefully, Ein reached with the edge of a sheet and blotted it away. Ledah frowned in his sleep, murmured, and shifted; Ein waited for a moment, but he soon relaxed, easing back into deeper dreams.

Ein couldn't begrudge him that bone-deep tiredness or the dead slumber; Ledah had every right to be exhausted—not just because of the sex, but also because of the old painful memories that being back in Asgard had stirred.

Ein had had it bad enough as a child, but Ledah's quiescent, gentle manner had concealed the fact that he had survived horrors at the hands of his rich family. Even as a young boy, Ein had gotten some inkling of the fact that Ledah was being abused by his parents—shortly after the brunet had turned five, Ledah had started occasionally appearing at this room in the night, asking to stay until morning. These visits had seemed innocent, at least until Ein had noticed the bruising that was starting to appear on his best friend's face and body. As time went by, the visits became more frequent, and Ledah's physical state deteriorated every time—the worst time had probably been the night after Ein's sixth birthday, when he'd come in with a broken wrist—but every morning, Ledah slipped back out and went home.

Even so young, Ledah had known what probably would've happened to him if he'd run away for good; an unusually bright young boy, he stated when Ein asked about it that he simply had nowhere else to go _but _back home. And by that time, he had sadly grown used to the cycle of being routinely beaten by his mother and neglected by his father.

However, when Ein was seven and Ledah fourteen, there came a night when the little blonde had come running to Ein in tears, his nerves so badly shattered that he had stayed awake, in a state of shock, all night; Ein, worried, had stayed up with him. In the morning, when Ledah usually slipped back off, he had refused in a state of panic to go anywhere, screaming, _"I'm not leaving!" _in a broken, half-insane-sounding voice. Terrified, Ein had gone to the soldiers the Magi had appointed as his guardians for help; two of them had gone in to Ledah and gotten the truth about what had happened the previous night.

As Ein had slept, the soldiers had taken Ledah straight to the Magi's council and made his accusations known.

The scandal had been huge, the Magi furious. Ledah's father, found guilty by a mixed jury in trial after being force-fed Truth Serum and questioned by Minerva and hearing Ledah's tearful testimony under truth-spell by Celina, had been given the choice of death or banishment. He had chosen death, salvaging the shreds that remained of his honor.

And Ledah had become a fosterling of the same soldiers who took care of Ein, moving in with his young friend and future lover.

Ein heard all the gossip, though he hadn't understood it until he was far older and deemed mature enough to be educated about exactly how it was children came to be and why adults seemed to enjoy the act that did it so much. And the knowledge of how close it had been still made him feel vaguely ill.

That night, Ledah's own father had tried to rape him.

_Tried _to. Ledah had taken enough self-defense classes to be able to break the older man's hold on him, and even so young, he was fast enough to get away and smart enough to take a very indirect route to the only place he knew he would be safe.

Ledah's childhood had been a nightmare. It was little wonder why he seemed so lackluster about being back in Asgard.

Ein reached out and very gently smoothed his lover's hair. He seemed so vulnerable when he was asleep, especially now. Though he truly did have a very noble heart and a strong will, sometimes he couldn't help being weak. Ledah, perfectionist that he was, hated himself for it, but Ein found the quality endearing and tried to reassure him when he found his lover suffering from his old inadequacy complex.

"I'll never let anything like that happen to you again, Ledah," Ein murmured. "I love you. I'll protect you. I promise…"

With a slight smile, he closed his eyes and let himself sleep at last.

---

Ein came awake in the early morning with a groan, feeling the light through the window beating on his eyelids. Scrubbing sleep out of his face, he sat up, yawned, and stretched, sighing as his muscles tightened, loosened, and relaxed.

The other side of the bed was empty; Ledah seemed to have already gone off somewhere. Instead, there was a small piece of paper lying there, with a note in Ledah's handwriting.

_"Went for a walk. There's someone I need to see. Be back as soon as I'm finished. Before you ransack the other rooms, there's no food here—find breakfast somewhere else. Love, Ledah."_

Ein groaned again. He was _hungry. _Looking around, he found the inkwell and quill pen Ledah had used sitting on the bedside table, wet the tip, and turned the note over to scrawl his own message on the back.

_"Finding breakfast. Will wait for you at the Council. Don't take forever. Love, Ein."_

With that, he dug in his pack for his extra outfit, then went into the washroom to briefly scrub his body free of the previous night's sweat and the stains of Ledah's semen that still flecked his abdomen and thighs. With that done, he dressed and headed out.

The morning was bright outside, and warm. Ein took a deep breath of the fresh air and decided that maybe getting up relatively early wasn't so bad after all, then strolled down the walkway to enjoy the atmosphere.

Asgard didn't seem so deserted today. Early as it was, there were already a few angels roaming around outside as well. Although they seemed taken aback at Ein's presence, they gave small, polite nods and smiles of acknowledgement, which Ein returned, feeling slightly relieved. Celina must have had her "talk" with them, and it seemed that she had managed to restrain her temper—the people of Asgard seemed at least marginally friendly now.

Ein was so deep in his thoughts that as he turned a street corner, he was unconcerned enough to walk straight into a small child, who had been running around with a small group of mixed boys and girls who seemed to be about six or seven years old.

Ein stumbled briefly and the boy windmilled his arms, flaring his wings in order to keep his balance. Ein (who had just found his) reached out to steady him. "Sorry—I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay?"

The boy nodded. "Uh-huh." He had a messy shock of black or dark brown hair cut similarly to Ein's own, and was dressed plainly in darkly-colored pants and a laced-up sleeveless shirt. His eyes were hazel green and startlingly bright, as Ein saw when the boy looked up and smiled suddenly. "You're Ein Legendra, aren't you?"

"Uh… yeah, that's me," Ein replied, blinking at the happy grin that broke out over the boy's face.

"That's so cool! You're like all the heroes who fought in Ragnarok! I wanna grow up to protect Asgard just like you!" The young child was positively glowing with pride in the man who seemed to be his idol.

Ein knelt down so that he would be on eye level with the boy. "That's good to hear," he told the youth with a smile. "Asgard could always use more heroes."

One of the other children, a girl with short, messy brown hair, interrupted them by calling "Come _on! _You're it—don't just keep us all waiting!"

"Go on, now—take care of yourself out there," Ein urged gently, giving the boy a gentle push in the shoulder.

"You better get ready, 'cause here I come!" the boy yelled, dashing off with a wave to Ein. The wingless angel waved back with a wink, then headed on, turning back towards the council building. He never had managed to find breakfast, but maybe he could ask Celina where he could get it while he waited.

---

Ein found the red-robed Magus sitting on the low wall that surrounded the council building, watching the angels in the street with a smile on her face. There was a paper bag on the wall beside her with its opening twisted shut and held there with a piece of string. As Ein approached, she smiled and gave him a very un-Magus-like grin.

"Good morning," Ein called, bobbing his head to show that he hadn't forgotten her rank.

"Hungry?" Celina asked just as Ein's stomach let out a loud protest at its lack of food. "I thought you would be. Here—there's a meat pie in the bag for you, and challah rolls for Ledah."

Practically drooling at the thought of Asgard's meat pies (for _breakfast, _no less), Ein enthusiastically thanked her, then opened the bag, pulled out the food, and dug in with gusto. From what he could tell, it was beef with gravy baked into the soft-crusted pastry; careful to avoid making a mess (as the flaky crust of meat pies had a way of crumbling at the most inopportune moments), he quickly polished it off, then retied the bag and sat down with a sigh.

"You're easily pleased."

"It helps a lot that you talked to them," Ein said, waving a hand to indicate Asgard's citizens. "They're being nicer now, and you really didn't have to do that. Thank you."

"They just needed a little reminding that just because you're a Grim Angel and you no longer have wings, it doesn't mean that you aren't an angel like them. What they did hurt you and Ledah, and I'm not one to allow that kind of thing." Celina shrugged. "Well, for however long you decide to stay here, you're going to be chased around by mobs of children. They all absolutely love you—ever since your story was told here, you've been something of a local hero, and I think we've needed one of those. One day they'll be singing your praises like they do the gods, or Yggdra and Milanor."

Ein shook his head. "I dunno about that. Sooner or later, Ledah and I are going to have to settle down for good. We can only run around having adventures for so long…"

"True." Celina straightened up, groaning as she stretched with both hands to her lower back. "We Magi may have stopped aging at around our thirtysomethings, but that never stopped time from adding up all the stresses in our lives and footing us the bill right where it hurts the most. Never, never, never let anyone sell you on immortality. It's painful, it's lonely, you develop the risk of running insane as Hector did after a while, and it doesn't stop you from getting arthritis."

Ein tried not to laugh. He failed.

"Well, at least you think it's funny." Celina grinned at him, shaking her head. "Where's Ledah, anyhow? I expected you two to come down here together."

The wingless angel shrugged, looking around aimlessly. "No idea. He was gone when I woke up… left a note saying he was going for a walk, that he needed to see someone."

Celina's expression sobered. "And he still isn't back?" She sighed. "Ein, your Ledah certainly is a glutton for punishment. I've a feeling that he's probably gone to see _her."_

There was only one "her" that Celina could've meant. Ein groaned.

"Shouldn't he know better by now?" Celina asked with one upraised eyebrow.

_"Ledah, _know better? Never. He came down last time too, and he left in tears. It's like he can't help trying. Although… I really do have to admire the way that he's unwilling to give up on her completely. It's sweet, in a sad sort of way. He can't help still loving her, and he's always wanted her to love him in return."

Celina shook her head. "Well, then, shall we go collect him before there are any incidents?"

Ein nodded wordlessly.

---

"Ledah Rozwelli? Ah… yes, he just came by a few minutes ago," the young nurse said. "Would you like me to take you down to him? I doubt he would mind, Legendra-san… my lady." She bowed to Celina, her palms flat on her thighs over her white dress.

"Would you, please? That would be kind of you," Ein replied.

"Certainly. Right this way." She turned; Ein and Celina followed.

The building was well-kept, with smooth tiled floors in a green-and-white pattern. The walls were brick, with cozy, hopeful overhead lighting. Every now and then, passageways would branch off the main corridor, with wide, thick glass windows showing into the rooms on either side. The nurse kept walking down the main path, however, only turning when she reached one of the final offshoots from the stem of the central hall.

She placed a hand on the closest door, turned to Ein and Celina, and smiled. "It looks as though he isn't done yet. It may be wise to wait for him, unless there's any kind of trouble."

Ein nodded. "Sure… that'll be alright with us." His eyes drifted to the door first, and the carefully stenciled lettering on the label beside it. The label itself was metalworked by the smithy, with a sheaf of paper slipped in under the name of the building to declare the name of the room's owner.

The building's name was "Asgard Mental Institution".

The resident's name was Eithne Rozwelli.

Ein looked through the glass at the woman who sat in the bed within.

Her room was lived-in rather than sterile, like a hospital's. The comforter was the same mint green of the tiles on the floor and the paint on the brick walls, the sheets white. There were comfortable-looking chairs at the room's corners, and a potted plant near the small window that would give her a view of the outside world.

Ledah sat on a stool at her bedside, his back to the window—he probably hadn't noticed Ein, Celina, and the nurse's approach. He was dressed in his deep red robes today, with his Grim Angel's mantle over them. His wings were held back, dispirited but still tense, as he spoke to her.

The woman herself stared dreamily ahead, not seeming to notice Ledah's presence at all. One glance at her could tell an onlooker where Ledah had gotten his great beauty; she had the same rich blonde hair and porcelain skin as her son, though her hair was longer and bore a few strands of white at her temples. She had the same heart-shaped face, straight brows, and high cheekbones as well, though her eyes were rounder, her nose more delicate, and her lips thinner than her child's. Her eyes, with their dreamy cast, were molten gray, flecked with gold, instead of carmine as her husband's had been. Her hands were folded blithely in her lap, her white wings with their occasional dusting of tawny feathers settled calmly behind her. She wore a white, short-sleeved shift that draped over her small bust as she sat; her posture wasn't perfect, but neither was it poor.

Ein could hear through the glass and partially-opened door, though he wished he couldn't.

"Mother," Ledah said softly, almost pleadingly. "Mother, it's me. I've come to see how you've been… you look well."

No response.

"Mother… it's me, Ledah. Do you… recognize me, Mother?" He reached out and took her slender hands in his. "Mother…?"

Dreamily, she turned towards him and stared blankly into his face for a few moments.

And then she underwent a change so drastic it could be considered a complete metamorphosis.

Her serene, beautiful smile twisted into a hateful scowl, her calm eyes hardened, and she pulled her hands from beneath her son's, whipping her right through the air so swiftly that Ledah was too shocked to react. There was a sick smack as her palm connected with his cheek; Ledah winced but made no sound. Her chest was heaving, her wings flared, her hair disheveled from her sudden movement. Ein was bewildered. Hate had stolen her beauty, making her so ugly it was hard to bear looking at her.

"Bastard! Betrayer! Sodomite! How _dare _you show your sinful face before me!"

She slapped him again, hard, her hand curled this time. Ledah flinched, letting out a soft, muted sound of pain and despair.

"Common whore! Dog! Remove yourself from my sight _immediately! _Jackal! Traitor! Murderer! Would that you had died in the womb than draw one breath of the air of Asgard! Desecrator! I wish you dead! I wish you—"

The nurse had rushed in, restraining Eithne Rozwelli from slapping Ledah a third time. As the two women struggled, Eithne spitting obscenities over the nurse's sensible padded shoulder at her son, Ein dove in, grabbed Ledah by the wrist, and led him out of the room, closing the door to mute his mother's abusive words. There were little droplets of blood coursing down Ledah's reddened cheek like tears where his mother's nails had hit his face; his eyes were heavy with real ones as he hung his head silently, dejectedly.

Celina placed her hand on Ledah's injured cheek. Her palm glowed against his skin, and the wounds disappeared, leaving only bloody smudges where the reddish tracks had been. "You don't need to torment yourself like this," she said in a low, concerned voice. "Eithne has been insane for years. She is well cared for here, so you don't need to worry for her well-being. It only pains you to see her, so don't do this to yourself…"

Ledah stayed silent, his tears beginning to fall.

Ein slipped his hand beneath Ledah's chin, forcing him to look back up, and wiped the tears away with his other hand. "You have me," he murmured. "You'll _always _have me. She can't hurt you anymore unless you let her, Ledah."

"She's my _mother," _Ledah said thickly.

"And it's a pity that she never loved you as you deserve," Celina told him gravely. "You were unlucky in your parents, young one. Fate has been cruel to you."

_"I _love you," Ein told him, and put his arms around Ledah's body. The blonde buried his face in Ein's shoulder and sighed in anguish and mourning. The two of them stood like that for a few moments, just as long as it took for Ledah to get back his composure and straighten up, his closing his eyes and breathing slowly until he could turn to look at Celina.

The Magus nodded to both of them. "It's time for us to head back to the Council. We three have much to discuss."

:TBC:


	3. Trial

Jugement du Ciel

See disclaimer in part 1

The full council of the Six Magi had been called, Ein realized, as he and Ledah entered the central chamber of the archaic hall after Celina. The other five proxies of the gods formed a semicircle behind the pedestal of crystal behind which Celina hovered, with Minerva at the leftmost end and Ashcroft on the rightmost. Each of the Magi in the background was grave and silent, with their hoods pulled forward to hide the upper halves of their faces in shadow. All traces of mirth had left Celina's face, and her blood-colored eyes were somber as she regarded her two Grim Angels.

Something fluttered in Ein's lower belly as he looked from guarded face to guarded face. _This must really be dangerous, judging by the way they're acting…_

"Ein Legendra and Ledah Rozwelli, Grim Angels of the Six Magi and the gods of Asgard… are you ready to hear the terms of the trial offered unto you?" Celina asked, something obsidian about her voice as she spoke.

Ein clenched his fists, bit his lip, and nodded. "We are."

Ledah inclined his head wordlessly to show that he felt the same way.

"The trial, if it succeeds, will allow you brief spans of passage to establish contact with Einherjar's core, in so doing allowing you to assume spiritual echoes of the wings you lost during your Grim Angel transformation. This will be triggered by a spell, to be set up between you and the Magi when the trial ends.

"The battle itself sounds as though it would be a simple one. You must defeat your foe as completely as you possibly can, by deathblow or simply by depriving it of its consciousness. I warned you beforehand that this enemy has several times the power of Hades, last of the demon god's children. It is also considerably faster, so you can't merely skid by with simple agility."

"Our foe…?" Ledah prompted, his voice jagged-edged in apprehension.

Celina sighed. "By order of our magic, the six of us will invoke a physical representation of Einherjar's binding, known as the Guardian. Even by seemingly killing or destroying it, you would only be weakening it just enough for us to get at the essence within. There's… really no other way to retrieve the spiritual essence of Ein's wings without destroying Einherjar completely.

"There's… a catch to all of this, too, as you may have expected. Because the Guardian will be born from Einherjar and in effect from Ein himself, any attack he would attempt would have no effect whatsoever, nor the Guardian's upon him. Therefore… Ein will not be permitted to interfere in the trial in any way.

"Ledah, you must destroy or otherwise defeat Einherjar's Guardian… by yourself."

Ein lurched forward a step, unable to help crying out. "What! But… these are my wings, so Ledah shouldn't have to…!"

Celina shook her head, smiling bitterly. "Believe me, Ein. I don't like it any more than you do, but this is the way it _has _to be."

Ein fell silent, pleading her with his eyes to tell him otherwise, but she did not respond, turning instead to Ledah.

"Now… are you willing to undertake this trial, Ledah Rozwelli?"

Ledah bowed slightly. "…Yes, my lady."

Ein turned to his lover, something very like outrage on his face, mingled with the rising fear in his eyes. _"Ledah!"_

Ledah gave the wingless angel a sidelong glance. "Don't try to stop me, Ecthel—this is my decision." He shook his head. "Besides… you did the same thing eight years ago, when you took Rose and myself on a quest to restore my heart. Gods only know how unwilling I was back then… but even so, it was _your _will, _your _words, _your _effort that eventually paid off. I've always promised both you and myself that if I ever had the opportunity, I would reciprocate… and now, when I am offered the chance to fulfill that promise and grant your heart's desire, you expect me to refuse? I can't, Ecthel… you _know _I can't."

Ein grabbed Ledah's wrist, twisting the blonde around to face him. "My heart's desire? Ledah, no matter _how _much I want my wings back, _your _safety will always be more important to me! You can't! It's just too dangerous!"

Ledah's expression remained as smooth and blank as it had ever been when he had still served under Hector's totalitarian leadership as he jerked his arm out of Ein's grip. "Never forget that though I may not have your youth and potential, I am still a Grim Angel." There was an ice-rimed edge to his voice that stung Ein slightly, even as it made the brunet realize that Ledah was covering his hurt. "You're forever sheltering me these days, and I _don't _like it."

Ein was silent for a moment, trying to find in Ledah's frosty demeanor where the clinging dependence of the wildly distraught, vulnerable man of just the night before, or the long-suffering ache of the abused and neglected child from not even an hour ago, fit in. Hate it he might, but there were certainly parts of Ledah that _needed _sheltering, and needed it badly.

All the time, Ledah glared at Ein, bristling and silently daring him to protest again.

Disconcerted as he was by Ledah's cold anger, Ein just _couldn't _give up yet. Instead, he turned back to Celina, holding his hands out desperately. "You can'tjust let this happen…!"

Celina shook her head, a distant sadness on her face and in her voice as she replied. "In the end, this is Ledah's decision, not yours. I'm sorry, Ein, but you don't really have much say in the matter…" As Ein stared at the floor dejectedly, she shifted her attention back to Ledah. "Are you ready? You'll have the time to eat, rest, and prepare yourself while we work our casting."

"…Yes. I was ready from the moment I set foot here."

"Then report to the Initiation Chamber in five minutes. You're both dismissed." Celina paused. "And I know that you have no reason to listen to me, but try not to argue on your way. It would be a very bad idea for you to begin this at odds with each other."

Both angels turned and began to walk away; just as they reached the door, Celina called, "You'll need to leave Einherjar with us, as I'm sure you're aware."

Ein sighed, turned, and headed back up to her, reluctantly holding out his Diviner in a very blunt and ungraceful movement.

Celina took it, then leaned in close to him. "Don't let Ledah's pride fool you. He loves you and worries for you, even though you do get on his nerves every now and then. And he needs your support, now more than ever…"

Ein nodded, then turned to head back. Ledah was waiting for him by the door, holding it open expectantly.

With the Six Magi still watching, they left the audience, heading back down the high hallways of the citadel.

Ein watched Ledah for a few moments as they walked, then put his hand on his lover's shoulder, stopping them both. The blonde turned to face him, looking tired but not angry any longer.

"I just don't want you to get yourself hurt because of me again," Ein murmured, searching Ledah's face. "I'm… I'm scared for you, doing this all alone."

Ledah was silent for a while before replying. "Trust in my strength," he said at last. "It doesn't matter what the odds are, if I'm doing this for you."

Ein let his hand slide from Ledah's shoulder to just above his elbow, tightened his grip slightly, and leaned in, kissing his lover almost desperately. Instead of returning the kiss, however, Ledah stiffened in Ein's grasp, refusing to let his lips soften against the younger angel's. He pulled away, looking almost pained.

"Not now," he said shortly, with an almost-fierce shake of his head. "I don't have the time for that now." His carmine eyes were adamant and wary as he stared down a few inches into his lover's.

"Ledah, _please… _I'm not after sex and you know it, so don't act like I am. I need to do this." Insistently, Ein tightened his grip on Ledah's arms and pulled him close again, kissing him hard. Though the blonde remained rigid and unresponsive, Ein seemed not to notice his lover's bristles as they stood with their lips locked together.

When at last Ein released his lover, he eased back, looking sad and vulnerable as he stared into Ledah's guarded eyes. "I'm sorry that it seemed like I was doubting you," he said softly. "Because that's not what this is about… Ledah, I love you."

With that, all of Ledah's tenseness evaporated, and the wariness in his face melted. With apology in his eyes, he put his arms around his young lover and held him close against his chest.

"And I love you, Ecthel… more than anything else in the world, I love you."

As their embrace loosened, Ein bowed his head so that Ledah wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes. This was silly of him, but he couldn't help but feel like this was more than just an ordinary goodbye. "Take care of yourself out there, Ledah…"

When he looked up again, the blonde seraph was carefully holding out the delicate grail that the two of them had rescued the previous day. "…Here… I don't want it to get broken in the fight. Give it to Celina or one of the others, if you can."

Ein nodded, accepting the Cup of Wishes. "Thanks… Ledah, you'd better go if you don't want to be late. I'll… I'll be up in the Monitoring Room, watching… if they let me."

Ledah put his hand on his lover's cheek, turning the motion into a swift caress that teased the ends of Ein's just-trimmed bangs, then leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Ein nodded again, his heartbeat starting to accelerate. "Yeah…"

With no further words, Ledah turned and began to walk away.

---

The Initiation Chamber, which had once hosted the trials of the many Grim Angel hopefuls who had come from the various corners of Asgard, was now just a hollowed-out workroom in the middle of the Magi's council building. The floor was made of a thick, stone-like material that the Magi seemed to like called concrete, and the walls covered in protective sheets of metal.

Ein was sitting in the Monitoring Room, which offered a broad view of the vast and empty chamber. Located on the second floor of the citadel, most of its far wall was made of thick one-way glass that would look like plain metal on the other side. There were two benches and a table for furnishings, and even a potted plant in one corner, but these obvious efforts at comfort just made the wingless angel edgier.

From here, he would be able to observe Ledah's battle without any chance of interference. He was afraid to watch, but just as fearful of letting Ledah fight without his watchful eye hovering in the distance.

It was the same helpless feeling he'd had back in Yggdrasil, when Ledah had thrown himself between his future lover and Malice's sneak attack, shielding Ein with his own body. And the brunet hated it with a passion.

"You certainly look happy."

Startled, Ein looked up. Celina was framed in the doorway, a wan smile on her face. As Ein watched, she headed to the opposite bench and sat down on it with a sigh of exhaustion.

"Are you okay…?" Ein asked hesitantly. "You… don't look so good."

"Even with six of us, it took almost all our reserves to create the Guardian." Celina sighed again and pushed back her hood entirely, running her hand through her hair (which was cropped short except for the two long locks that still hung down onto her chest). "I'm _tired. _We haven't had to cast spells of this magnitude since Ragnarok, at least. It's pretty pathetic if you think about it…"

Ein shook his head, smiling wryly. The Magus pulled an outrageous face, then held out a hand over the table.

"Anyway, here you go. We're done with Einherjar now, so you can have it back so long as you promise not to destroy the furnishings if it looks like Ledah's getting into trouble." The Diviner's outline shimmered on the tabletop, then flashed as the sword came fully into being. With no little sense of relief, Ein took it back. "…You know, if Ledah's knocked unconscious by the Guardian, we _will _be allowed to interfere for his sake. If things get to be too dangerous, we're not just going to leave him."

"I know." Ein sighed unhappily. "I just… I don't like it."

"I know that, and I'm sorry. There's not much we can do about it either."

The two of them were silent for a while, then Ein shifted a little and tried again.

"So, uh… what's going on, anyway? With the trial, I mean. It doesn't seem like anything's happening right now…"

Celina sighed. "Ashcroft and the guys are waiting for the signal to complete the summoning. Minerva and Agrias are with Ledah, making sure he's really ready. He can undergo a quick purification ritual if he wants, or meditate or whatever. As soon as he's finished, the summon will be completed, he'll walk out, and the trial will start."

Ein let a short shiver run over his body and wrapped his arms around his chest.

"Something wrong?"

The brunet shook his head. "Just nerves."

Celina stared at him for a few moments, then shook her head. "It's going to be alright, Ein. Believe me, it's going to be alright. If there's anything the Magi have to say about it, even if this fight goes badly the worst is not going to happen."

Neither of them spoke what Ein knew: That if something happened and Ledah was dealt too strong a blow, he could be killed instantly without anyone's being able to do anything about it.

"You said we might be better off when you came to Elendia," Ein said softly. "I think I understand what you meant now…"

Celina gave Ein an intense look. "Ledah's odds are about even," she told him with a sense of finality to her voice. "He's always been one of Asgard's best, but all the same, he's certainly not getting any younger these days."

Ein stared. "Celina, Ledah's thirty-two. Thirty-two is not old."

"But it's not young, either. Ledah's almost to middle age, and he's been put through a _lot _of stress in his life. The whole thing with his emotions certainly did not do him any good, and even now I'm fairly sure that some permanent damage _was _done. And even in his youth, he never did have what you could call an easy life."

Remembering Ledah's desperation the previous night, Ein shuddered. "No… I don't quite think he did." He clasped and unclasped his hands, gripping the edges of the bench he sat on instead. "That's why I didn't want him to do this…"

"All the same, Ledah's strong, he's stubborn, he refuses to know when to give up, and he's very passionately in love with you. He's also intelligent, and even with his emotions returned to him, he's very level-headed. He may seem to be acting obstinate about this, but it's not out of arrogance. It's born of that love and sense of duty towards you… and his own estimation of his abilities… that causes him to act this way." Celina smiled wryly. "Love is a force that's kept so many people alive through the ages… and I'm no exception, Ein. Many a time in Ragnarok, it was my faith in my fellows that kept me fighting what felt like a hopeless battle."

Ein nodded, quelled. Celina should know—her heroism, along with Hector's, the other Magi's, and the Grim Angels', had effectively won the awful war for the rapidly weakening gods.

"Ein—it seems like Ledah's ready now. The door has opened… watch."

---

Ledah stood framed in the doorway, one hand loosely gripping Lorelei's haft, with the heavy spearhead pointed at the ground as he breathed and let his external worries flow out of him with prayers to each of the gods.

Freya, Odin, Balder, Thor… with each name, each patron of his power, one of the tendrils of the thick tangle of anxiety writhing in his mind and heart slipped free, until the maelstrom of pressure left the surface of his inner being as calm as water's surface on a windless day.

The only things he left were the seven cardinal elements of his own being… the things that, he prayed, he would be able to use to overcome the power of the Guardian.

Duty. This was his duty, a duty waiting to be fulfilled ever since he had awakened from the foreign healer's surgery, disoriented and a little disconcerted as well with the unfamiliar rush of pure _feeling _surging through his solar plexus. He owed this to Ein, and so he would do it. It was that simple.

Faith. He believed in the work of fate that had brought him here, and now by his rights as a priest and the will of the gods that had made him a Grim Angel, he was going to take hold of his own destiny and _win, _with all his being.

Intellect. He needed a cold precision to be able to calculate his strategy against the Guardian. It was part of Einherjar, which in turn was part of Ein. And through that connection, it would surely know more about him than he would like.

Fortitude. He would need every ounce of strength in his body before this was over—he sensed it in every fiber of his being.

Instinct. It had served him well enough for this long—Ledah knew it wasn't going to let him down just yet, and was glad of it.

Determination. By all the gods, if his will couldn't prevail, neither could he, and he wouldn't be able to bear the thought of Ein's grief if anything happened to him because of cowardice.

And lastly…

Love.

Even if everything else deserted him, love for Ein would keep him going, even if he was trying to use a strength he didn't usually have.

Love was everything.

Knowing he was ready, Ledah took his first long, sweeping step into the room of the trial.

---

"Oh _gods," _Ein whispered, sick with revulsion.

As soon as Ledah had set foot in the room, the door had slammed behind him, and in a brilliant flash of light, the beast of his opponent had begun to take form.

The Guardian was immense—probably a fifth of the size of the entire room. Its head was only ten feet from the ceiling; there was just enough room for it to maneuver with the slightest vestige of comfort. It completely dwarfed Ledah, who was staring up at it with that same blank, bordering-on-hateful glare he had always given his demon enemies during his and Ein's first foray into Heaven's Gate.

Its body was apish, with a huge, muscular slab of a torso, short legs, and arms twice their length. It was heavily muscled, with only the vaguest resemblance to a human. Its head was almost comically out of proportion with the rest of it; it could easily pinch its own face between two of its gigantic fingers if it so desired. There were thick metal shackles around each wrist, with the remnants of monstrous chains dragging from the side of each. Its body gave off a bluish-green cast, though its eyes glinted a jarring shade of ruby above its huge mouth of ugly, jagged teeth.

Ein had to fight to keep from reflexively twitching his hands away from his Diviner. How could this disgusting creature be born of the beautiful sword that was part of his own life?

"Nasty-looking sonofabitch," Celina commented under her breath, and Ein, overhearing, couldn't be inclined to disagree.

Gods, what was Ledah going to be able to do against this _behemoth?_

---

Experimentally, Ledah shifted his wrist as though he were about to slash with his Diviner.

There was a nauseating swoop of moving air, and then the Guardian's gnarled right arm was sailing towards him.

Tensing the muscles of his legs, Ledah leaped backwards and away, flaring his wings and straining them with over-exaggerated flaps to keep in the air. Once the monstrous fist crashed to the floor, he spread his wings in an almost straight vertical line, allowing him to drop back down without jarring his body too badly.

The fist was moving again faster than Ledah had predicted; he swung up Lorelei and slashed at it, spraying deep blue blood across the area. The Guardian let out a frustrated roar as its intended prey slipped off…

…and then a triumphant snarl as Ledah dashed full into the broken chain of its shackle.

---

Even as far away as the Observation Room—behind the screen of heavy glass and metal—Ein heard Ledah's tormented cry, and the grinding crunch of breaking bone.

Instantly, he was up on his feet, pounding his hands against the one-way mirror that was his window into the source of his terror. Horrified tears already starting in his eyes, he started to scream helplessly at the combatants: "LEDAH! LEDAAAAHHHH! YOU BASTARD, DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM! **LEDAAAAAHH!"**

---

Shuddering uncontrollably, Ledah lurched to his knees with a low moan of pain, cradling his left forearm to his chest. Even moving it that much made him feel sick, and he knew—though he wouldn't look—that there were a few shards of splintered bone jutting from the back of his arm.

But he knew that he would have to fight through this pain.

Ein was counting on him.

Trying to struggle back up, Ledah accidentally jarred his wrist, blanched, and retched, coughing up dark spots of blood onto the ground.

Clenching Lorelei's haft tightly in his uninjured hand, Ledah made it to his feet, staggered, and wiped the blood and sweat on his face away with his right sleeve. The sacred spear he gripped like life sent out near-frantic waves of comfort and assurance, like a panicked heartbeat.

But Ledah took solace just the same, able by his Diviner's power to shove the agony of his broken arm back into the distant corner of his mind where he would have to deal with it later.

And he braced himself to evade the next impending blow.

---

Ein watched anxiously, half-sobbing, as Ledah leaned forward into a sharp headlong dash, his broken arm tucked protectively to his chest as he ran, power crackling along Lorelei's scarlet length.

As the Guardian slashed its other fist (and chain) through the air, Ledah stopped dead, gathered himself, and sprang sharply into the air, twirling his Diviner in masterful movements as flickers of flame flashed from its deadly trident head.

The Guardian was still struggling to compensate for its overblown lunge as Ledah's cry of triumph rang through the air, echoing against the metallic walls of the room.

"Burn in the flames of judgment… CRIMSON COURREGES!"

Bright lances of flame shot through the air with every sweep of Ledah's Diviner, provoking the Guardian's squeals as it failed to escape the vengeful angel's punishment. With a final shriek, it collapsed, leaving Ledah hovering in midair, his chest heaving as he glared down at his fallen foe.

The air blurred, and there was a dull sound of impact, followed by a sickly smash as the Guardian's thick arm swept out wildly, slamming Ledah violently into the wall.

Ein stood in shock, starting to shake, as his lover fell into a crumpled heap at the base of the wall, his grip on Lorelei slack from the stun of impact.

And the Guardian began to advance.

"If he doesn't start moving in ten seconds, I'm getting him out of there," Celina started, white-faced and tense, but Ein cut her off with a strangled cry.

Ledah's fist had tightened on his Diviner's haft once more.

"Oh _gods, _Ledah, don't get up—_don't get up…" _Ein sobbed, his hands tightening into fists against the glass. "You'll _die _if you go on like this…"

---

"Ah…"

Letting the hot tears flow freely along his cheeks, Ledah forced his aching body back up again.

There was something wrong with his right wing—that he knew for certain. And it was foolish of him, but he _knew _that if he was going to have any hope against the Guardian, he would have to fly.

So he just had to try it and hope to all the gods that it wasn't too damaged to support his weight.

The world swayed as he leaned on the wall he had been thrown into for support, bile rising in his throat and forcing him to hunch forward again, coughing and desperately trying not to vomit up any more of his own blood… futilely, as he tasted the acid at the back of his mouth, mixed with the sick metallic tang of the blood that coursed over his lips, exploding from his body every time he coughed to land in bright red splatters on the floor.

Gritting his teeth, Ledah slowly extended both wings, cursing himself for the feeble motions when he knew he was running out of time to waste on reassessing his condition.

"Ah… _ahh…" _Some of the delicate bones in the end of the wing's arm had been cracked, but not broken. Hellishly painful… but still, if he tried, he would be able to make it work.

For Ein's sake, he would make it work.

Blindly, Ledah stumbled out of the way of the Guardian's blow, blinking blood out of his eyes as he tried not to slip in the blue goo that the monster had released in place of bodily fluids. "Come at me, bastard," he gasped, and leveled his Diviner, screaming inwardly as he buoyed himself up with his twisted wings.

Power sang through Lorelei, crackling along his arm as the inward flames of his conviction burst forth, singing through the air towards the Guardian.

**"ROSE KREUZ!"**

This time, Ledah had aimed not for the Guardian's body but for its left arm—specifically, for the heavy shackle still attached to its wrist.

The flames that Lorelei generated were more than hot enough to melt any ordinary metal.

The Guardian shrieked, throwing its tiny head back in agony as its skin began to bubble and boil with the liquid metal sinking into its skin. The chain, red and malleable but still solid, dropped away, hissing, as the thick and acrid scent of burning flesh filled the room.

Ledah's vision swayed, but he managed to stay conscious. He _had _to. The Guardian still had its other arm, which was now flailing wildly through the air. And until he took care of it, he wouldn't be able to rest.

Gods, for only a few moments of rest.

The adrenaline was going to wear off sooner or later, and then the pain would be so bad that Ledah would probably black out automatically rather than force his tortured body to deal with it.

"Feel the true power of my Diviner—and burn in Hel, sinner!" Desperate now, Ledah swung Lorelei up, resisting the urge to gasp in agony as he realized that he'd done it too harshly; the wrenching pain in his right shoulder was already pounding his rational thoughts away.

"Thy sins shall be purged…"

Fighting the hot ache and the dizziness of exhaustion, Ledah brought Lorelei swinging down in a volley of pure crimson fire.

**"LOST SERAPH!"**

---

Blood splattered against the one-way glass as the Guardian's right arm crashed to the ground with a dull thud.

Ein, still pressed up to his window as closely as he could, was torn between revulsion and fascination at the big monster's throes of agony. Ledah still hung in midair, breathing raggedly, his wings only giving halfhearted flaps to keep him aloft, seeming utterly unaware of the carnage before him, with the giant creature's severed limb and spurting blood dirtying the steel-plated arena of disaster.

"I told you it was going to be alright," Celina said softly.

"Yeah…" Ein murmured, disoriented. "But _gods, _Ledah's thorough about these things…"

Both Grim Angels were so distracted—Ein by his lover's condition, Ledah by his own pain and exhaustion—that neither of them realized until it was already too late.

_"Ledah, get out of there!" _Celina shrieked, the suddenness jolting Ein into awareness just soon enough to realize why Ledah had been thrown violently to the ground.

Both angels screamed—Ein in terrified love, Ledah in agony so heartrending that it was all Ein could do not to try to break his way through the walls and go to him.

The Guardian's headbutt had been wild, but it had made its mark…

And now, the giant creature was glowing ominously with some new impending attack…

---

There was something terribly wrong with Ledah's right leg from the hip down.

He couldn't feel much of it anymore, even with it twisted so unnaturally beneath him. The few sensations he did get from it were merely bursts of pain so intense that he just wanted to lie there and cry for help, though he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere.

It wasn't broken. That much he knew for certain. Breaks didn't feel so… hollow, so disconnected.

But the sharper agony in his chest kept him from acknowledging it for too long.

He'd broken at least one rib in the fall, and it felt like it was a nasty one.

He could feel the jarring tang of magic in the air, and knew that between the condition of his body and whatever the Guardian was trying to pull now, he only had one chance left.

It was time to pull out all the stops.

Ledah very carefully shifted Lorelei so that its base rested against the ground, then levered himself up as best he could without resting too much weight on his twisted leg. Stretching his wings out, he beat them as hard as he could, hovering just enough above the ground that he didn't have to worry about the pain in his hip anymore.

"That in my blood… that in my heart and my mind…"

Closing his eyes, he tilted his face back, stretching out both arms as if oblivious to the awful break in his left, a look of utter ecstasy on his bloodied face.

"Odin, my father in Valhalla! Yggdrasil, the root of my life!"

Lorelei began to glow, and high away in his safely contained room, Ein felt Einherjar begin to shake as well.

"For glory! For honor! For the will of the gods—_and for Ecthel!_

**"THE ARCH OF HEAVEN!"**

Ledah's vision vanished into fire. He heard the Guardian's squeal, and the hiss of released magic…

…and everything slowly faded into shades of gray as his body hit the hard floor.

---

**"LEDAH! LEDAH!"**

Ein and Celina had watched as the Guardian vanished in the burst of flame that had issued forth from Lorelei's jagged frame, shocked and disbelieving. Against all the odds, against everything they had expected in his condition, _Ledah had won._

"Stay where you are—I have to get him out of there," Celina said tersely. Her form flickered, and she reappeared at the fallen Grim Angel's side as soon as she vanished from the Monitoring Room.

Ein was aware of nothing but the overpowering need to get to his lover's side. Maddened by his overwhelming terror, he simply raised Einherjar and slammed its blade into the glass before him repeatedly, cracking it in several places… then kicked the glass hard, sending it showering down into the room below. Desperate, Ein threw himself through the opening, landing hard and stumbling before lurching forward to the Magus and the angel.

Up close, Ledah's wounds were a lot worse than they'd seemed even before, with him struggling just to stay conscious in his battle with the Guardian. His right wing seemed crumpled; blood clotted his entire left sleeve, with shards of bone snagged in the sodden fabric. His robes were torn and spattered with his own blood and his dead foe's; by the angle of his right hip, it seemed almost certainly dislocated, probably badly.

"What are you doing down here?—Never mind—I have to fix his leg before we can move him to somewhere he can be treated! Ledah—can you hear me?"

The blonde moaned, and half-opened his eyes. "M-my liege…"

"Do _not _try to talk. Ein, get behind him."

Helplessly, Ein knelt at Ledah's back.

"Hold him steady—Ledah, you hang on to Ein as hard as you can. You've done your part as a man today—this is going to hurt like hell for a minute, and since I don't have anything for you to bite, when it gets to be too bad, _scream. _I am not kidding—do you hear me? Scream for everything you're worth. Are you ready?"

Ein, carefully cradling his lover's broken body in his arms, felt Ledah's uninjured hand squeeze his upper arm. "Y-yes…"

Celina gripped Ledah's left leg through his robes at the hip and just above the knee. "Then I'm going to move it back into the socket on the count of three. One—two—"

Ein felt Ledah's nails bite into his arm as his lover shrieked, jerking his body back in an involuntary convulsion. Just as suddenly, he fell silent, gasping pitifully, trembling in Ein's hold.

"There—you've done enough, brave one," Celina murmured, easing back. "Let's get you out of here. …Ledah…?"

He'd slumped back against Ein's arms, still shivering, struggling to breathe, unresponsive.

"Oh, _gods, _no…"

Ein's chest seized up. "What is it… what's wrong?"

"He's lost too much blood—if he carries on in this state we're going to lose him, but there's no way for me to repair that much damage this quickly! There's nothing I can do, and I can't get the others fast enough for it to _matter—"_

But Ein was already fumbling inside his jacket, digging for the only thing he knew that could help Ledah at a time like this.

When he drew the Cup of Wishes into the open, it began to fill with cold, crystal-blue liquid almost immediately.

Celina went deathly white. _"Where did you get that?" _she asked in a haunted voice.

"I'll explain later," Ein said hurriedly, and very carefully levered Ledah's unresponsive, half-conscious body up, holding the delicate chalice to his lover's lips. _"Please, _Ledah… drink this…"

But Ledah only coughed weakly, sending a few flecks of blue into the air—in his state, he no longer could.

With a short pained cry, Ein lifted the Cup of Wishes to his own lips, draining the grail and then sealing his own mouth over Ledah's, forcing the liquid into his body with a finger on the blonde's throat to make him swallow.

And Ledah sighed weakly, only so much warm weight in Ein's arms, no longer struggling to breathe or stay awake but completely comatose in his exhaustion.

"You can tell me the story once we've gotten him into the infirmary," Celina said grimly. "Here—pick him up, I can get the two of you there much faster than you could go on your own."

Slowly, Ein stood, cradling his lover.

The world flashed once, and then reassembled with an anxious group of Asgard's finest doctors milling around the three of them.

As Ledah's weight was relieved from his grip, Ein gave up—the stress of the day had just been too much for him to handle, and relinquishing his hold on daylight was all that he could do now.

The world went mercifully black.

:TBC:


	4. Cost

Jugement du Ciel

See disclaimer in Part 1

Ein came awake with a start, jolting upright with a yell.

"Oh, good… I was starting to wonder when you would come to."

He turned towards the source of the voice. It was Celina, seeming calm as ever as she sat at his side, hands placidly folded in her lap.

From there, Ein looked around slowly. Though he didn't immediately recognize the room he was in, he knew he must still be in Asgard; most of Riviera's villages weren't this culturally advanced, and didn't have stone-tiled floors with neatly woven rugs over them. He was sitting up in bed, wearing a loose white kimono-styled garment instead of his usual clothes. Running a hand along the cream-colored sheets, he found that they were fine linen, rather than cotton as his bedclothes were back in Elendia. The walls and floor were also white; the curtains in the side of the wall were pale green.

Frowning, he turned back to Celina. "Where…?"

"You're in one of the hospital bays of the infirmary," she replied gently. "You've been unconscious for the past two and a half days—seeing Ledah fight alone seems to have put a lot of stress on you, and your body's been sleeping it off so you could cope when you woke up."

Ein bit his lip and searched Celina's face. "Ledah… how is he doing?"

She smiled. "He's been recovering as best as can be expected—sleeping, mostly. He's going to be very sick for a long time, and after that he'll need a little therapy to get him back up, but… in the long run he'll be more or less okay."

"In the long run?" Ein repeated dully. "More or less?"

"Those injuries will pain him for quite some time," Celina replied seriously, "and in all honesty, some of the worse wounds—that hip, or his arm—may always be a little tender. He lost a _lot _of blood, and even though your Cup of Wishes replenished his supply for a while when we were back here, he lost a lot more while the healers were working on him. He's going to be weak for a while, and even after that he may suffer… but being Ledah, he'll try to do it in silence rather than worry you. He's a sweet boy, even if he is rather insane when it comes to you. He's always been such a good child."

Ein tried out a smile and nodded hesitantly. "Yeah…"

"I'm telling you because, of course, you're going to need to compensate for that weakness. Take care of him, Ein—he's done the best by you that he can, and you should be proud of him. And I don't think I need to remind you that you'll need to be a little gentler with him in bed for a while."

"Gods, of course." Ein scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "I don't want to hurt him any worse." He looked back at Celina, almost shy now. "Can I… may I see him?"

Celina's slight smile returned. "Once you eat something. Samael will have my head if I load him with another patient—he goes all responsible when he's working with the wounded, and being responsible isn't something he particularly enjoys." She stretched. "And after that, Ashcroft and Minerva will probably want to work with you to figure out that wing-calling spell. Ledah won't like it if you don't take advantage of the gift he fought so hard for you to gain." She paused for a moment. "What will it be—beef pies, pork pies, poultry pies, or butcher's choice?"

Ein couldn't help but laugh.

---

Samael was up and giving Celina a distasteful look the moment she and Ein got through the door. Another of the Six Magi, he was the high lord over darkness, swathed in black-violet with a slightly lighter psi inscribed on his hood. He had messy black hair beneath his hood, and cat's yellow eyes that were usually glinting with the giddy sense of being up to no good. Now, however, they were professional and detached except for that small glint of displeasure.

_"Now _what is it? Can't a man who's lived over a thousand years get a little _rest _once in a while? Don't tell me you've done something else to yourself, Ein Legendra—this is really all I need right now."

"Oh, shut up and stop complaining," Celina replied briskly, waving a hand at him dismissively. "Ein wants to see Ledah."

"As if that would do much good. He's soundly asleep, as he should be," the Magus directed to Ein. "Now, shoo. I'm busy."

Ein stayed where he was, his eyes pleading desperately as he stared into Samael's hooded face.

"Stop with the pity plea—busy means busy, and out means out."

Reminding himself easily of how piteous Ledah had seemed the last time he'd seen his lover, Ein let his eyes widen and start to fill with tears.

Samael twitched. "AGH! Stop _looking _at me like that! Alright, ALRIGHT already for Pete's sake! You can see him, just stop _guilt tripping _me!"

Celina hid laughter; Ein blinked away the tears, bowed to Samael, and headed past him to the bed he'd been shielding from view.

Unlike most hospital beds, the one in this otherwise empty ward was a double, with an upraised section in the center so that the occupant could lie on his or her back without damaging their delicate wings. Ledah was carefully propped there, looking pale and vulnerable and _very _sick indeed, swathed in bandages with both hands resting on the coverlet that had been drawn up just to breast level for him.

Ein knelt beside the bed and placed both of his hands over Ledah's right, folding one beneath it to give it a gentle squeeze. "Hi," he said softly. "Thank you so much, beloved. You didn't have to do this for me… and now you're suffering so much for it. I'm sorry… and with the grace of the gods, you'll recover quickly." Leaning down, he kissed his lover's forehead. "I'm glad you're going to be alright."

As Ein pulled away, Ledah moaned softly and shivered, his carmine eyes slowly half-opening. The brunet caught his breath as his lover's gaze slowly settled on him, and felt his chest constrict as the blonde gave him a pained, weary smile.

"I… won for you…" he said softly, sleepily.

"I know you did," Ein replied, almost crooning as he moved one hand to gently caress Ledah's tousled hair. "You did good, Ledah." Leaning back down, he tenderly kissed the seraph's cheek. "You did so good, and I am _so _proud of you."

Ledah struggled to ease himself up on his elbows, wincing as the action jarred his still-healing ribs. "I… love you, Ecthel…"

"I love you, too." Carefully settling his lover back onto the mattress, Ein gave him a very soft kiss on the lips. "Take it easy, now… you were hurt pretty badly, and I don't want you to get any worse. Get some more sleep, okay?"

Ledah sighed and gave only the tiniest nod in response, closing his eyes again.

Ein smiled, fighting tears again. "That's my Ledah."

---

"So Ledah sleeps, and Ein waits."

"That pretty much sums it up. He's with Minerva right now, and Ashcroft's got Einherjar. The last time I saw them, Minerva was getting a little angry because Ein's head is everywhere but the wing spell now, even though he wanted this so badly."

Celina was sitting across a shôgi board from Agrias, the Magus presiding over light, with her cheek propped on her fist, waiting for her fellow to move a piece.

Agrias didn't seem to want to. "He's learned a good lesson about how important Ledah really is to him. Ein is still a naïve man—he tends to take things for granted, and that's as much of a curse as it's ever been a blessing. Perhaps it's a good thing that he's starting to wake up about his and his lover's mortality."

Celina shook her head. "Ledah's condition is a lot more serious than even _he _realizes. He would've died if not for that Cup of Wishes—_should _have died anyway. The next time something like this happens, not even a healer of Samael's ability may be able to save him."

"If Asgard can't depend on its Grim Angels anymore, what _can _it rely on?"

Celina sighed exaggeratedly. "You know what I mean, Agrias. _We _can't forget that they're just fragile mortals, either. Sometimes it slips with us about how fleeting life is for them…"

"You're getting sentimental in your old age." Agrias' golden-hazel eyes flicked up from the shôgi board to Celina's face. "Ledah knows very well that he's only an angel, and that he's getting older. And so long as his pride doesn't interfere, he'll remember that he can't take something like this again."

The red-haired Magus scowled and fidgeted. "Will you just _do _something already?"

A slow smile crept across Agrias' features. "It's patience, my dear, that wins wars, no matter how your headlong courage serves you in the short run." Pausing a moment longer, she delicately picked up one of the tiles on the board and moved it a few squares. "And I'm sorry to announce it, but I have you boxed in."

Celina headslumped. "You are _impossible."_

"Thank you."

---

The weeks passed in quick succession.

For the first ten days, Ledah's injuries bound him to his bed as he slowly rebuilt his blood supply. He spent most of that time asleep, his vital signs flickering all over Samael's charts. The Magi murmured worriedly over him when he wasn't conscious to be frightened by their concern, but he never fell below the critical point again.

At that same time, Ein gathered his nerves again and tried to buckle down to helping the Six Magi's spell-weavers, Minerva and Ashcroft, work out the constructs of his new pact with Einherjar. It was tough going, as Ein had never exactly been good with magic, but he tried as best he could even with a part of his mind always focused on how Ledah was doing at the moment.

On the eleventh day, when Samael announced that Ledah's broken ribs were finally knitting properly, the blonde seraph managed to sit up in bed, and adamantly refused to be given anything less than decent solid food.

That day, the rudimentary groundings of the spell were finally set.

Over the next week, Ledah's ribs and wing finished their healing process, and with his broken arm up in a sling and his injured hip tightly wrapped, he worked diligently on dragging himself across his room, clinging to various furnishings in order to make it without leaning on anyone. When he finally did, Ein cheered and applauded, cradling his lover in his arms, rewarding him with kisses and praising him as the bravest of all angels. But Samael and the other doctors and nurses who had watched over Ledah's repeated attempts knew from the sweat on the seraph's face and his expression of relief how painful it had been.

On the eighteenth day, the basic workings of the spell were laid, and all that remained were the finer details—and, of course, the testing to follow…

---

Ledah slumped back against one side of the low parallel bars, breathing hard, his face shining with sweat and his shirtfront stained wet. His chest was heaving, and each deep fitful gasp for air came in a painful wheeze.

"Come on, Ledah—you don't have much farther until you can lie back down and rest," the nurse at the end of the bars coaxed, looking worried. "Just hold on to the bars and keep going…"

"I… I can't…" The words came in a low, pained sob.

"I know how tired you are, and believe me, I don't want to force you into pushing yourself too hard," the nurse continued. "But you _must _do this if you want to go back to Elendia within the month when Ein is done training. Please, Ledah… just keep moving…"

"It's… not that," Ledah managed. He tried to take another half step, but was halted, his face contorted in agony, when he tried to move his right leg. _"Gods, _this pain…"

The nurse turned to look at Celina and Samael, who were staring at each other with serious expressions.

"Are you _sure _you reset that dislocation correctly?" Samael asked slowly.

Celina glowered at him. "Of course I'm sure. I've taken care of more than enough field wounds to know how. And his range of movement would be severely limited if it was off."

Samael shook his head. "Ledah, can you lift yourself over the bars? I'd like to take a look at that hip, if you please."

The blonde nodded and spread his wings to their full span, flapping tentatively as he gripped the bar closest to his observers before beating them heavily enough to lift his body mostly over the bars as he levered himself across with both arms. To Celina's observing eyes, he gave only a small grimace when having to rest his weight on his mostly-healed but still-wrapped arm.

As he touched down, he let out a short cry at the pain of moving his injured hip even slightly; Samael shook his head seriously and headed over to the shaking Grim Angel.

"Easy… I'm going to test it a little. It might hurt a bit, but if you shy away from me it'll hurt a lot worse, so stay still, alright?"

Ledah nodded, turned away, and closed his eyes, bracing himself for pain.

Very gently, Samael laid his hands along Ledah's hip; the blonde shivered and winced slightly at his touch. Celina watched as his grip on the bars tensed and eased with the Magus' gentle probing and knew that Ledah was going through worlds of agony, though he never gave more than a whimper.

At last, Samael pulled back, shaking his head. "The joint's a little inflamed, and it's the swelling of the tissues that's making it hurt so badly. You need to rest and not strain it any more for a while—it'll be stiff then, but it won't hurt so much. Stupid. I've been telling you to take it easy."

Ledah nodded, still breathing heavily, his eyes yet closed. "I know… I'll rest. But Ein's last test is later today… I'd like to be able to go there."

"Then you're going in a wheelchair," the nurse told him, her tone brooking no argument. "The same way you're going back to your room. You mustn't injure yourself further when things are finally starting to improve."

Ledah opened his eyes and gazed levelly at her. "No. I won't resist your judgment about going back in a chair, but when I go out to the field I'm going on my own two legs. Ein shouldn't have to see me like this. I won't shame him by taking the easy path. This is only damage to my limbs—and Ein once went through the loss of two of his. That whole time, he did his best not to complain and he only wept from the pain and the despair in the night, when I was the only one to hear him. It was hard for him, but he did it—he walked, slept on his back, trained, everything that caused him pain. I can do nothing less."

"It's a beautiful sentiment, but we also need to think of your health, Ledah," Celina said frankly. "If you're well enough, go ahead and push yourself. But if that inflammation hasn't subsided, either you're going with some kind of support or you're going nowhere at all. And I will _not _take backtalk about it. We've come close enough to losing you already without you and your honorable masculine stupidity pushing you back to the brink."

Ledah sighed and nodded slowly. "…Alright…"

"That's a good soldier," Celina said softly, the sharpness leaving her eyes and voice. "Now, let's get you back to bed."

---

"You know the drill, Ein—stand in the center of the glyph and run over the incantation in your mind," Ashcroft directed. "Hold Einherjar out before you as you do so. Concentrate on your power and then ignite the seal."

Ein let out an exaggeratedly long sigh and closed his eyes, nettled. He'd been working the same spell for almost six hours now with very little success; Ashcroft and Minerva told him that they'd basically got the spell workings down now and were simply fine-tuning it so that they could inscribe their glyph into Einherjar's core and give Ein some easier way to make use of his new ability.

They were out in the central courtyard of the Magi's citadel, with Ashcroft and Minerva's glyph drawn in charcoal on the ground. Ein didn't even recognize half the magical characters used in it, and his understanding of the others was pretty brittle. But both Magi assured him that he only needed to find the trigger within himself in order to give his spiritual wings substance.

It was finding the trigger that would be the hard part.

It wasn't enough that Ein had to concentrate or that they had to inscribe the glyph, he had to figure out what would make the wings work now anyway, as they would no longer be made of sinew and bone but his own will. He'd asked how he was supposed to get at this trigger, and from Ashcroft and Minerva's awkward silence, he could tell that they were just as in the dark about this part as he.

Ein gave himself a mental slap and wondered angrily how he could possibly go up to Ledah and tell his lover that the whole thing—his fight, his near death, their journey and the long struggle to recover, _everything_—had been for this failure to make it work in the end.

He had to keep trying.

But somehow, he just couldn't get his mind to stay on the subject of his tests today. Instead, his head was fixed on Ledah's uncertain condition.

Celina had just taken him aside before he'd come here and explained the details to him: Ledah's ribs and wing were completely healed now, and he could make some use of his broken arm, though he'd been given express orders to put it back in a sling if it started to cause him pain again; just less than three weeks had passed, and it usually took five or six for a break like Ledah's to fully recover.

It was his hip that kept the Magi worried.

Too much motion seemed to inflame the flesh around it; too little motion left it stiff. Celina had expressed grave worries that Ledah had torn something, but had told Ein more or less that if Ledah rested it for long enough, it should get better.

Should.

So was Ein to gain his wings—even _that _being uncertain—at the cost of Ledah's ability to walk?

Ein shook his head. He was being silly; even if the worst _did _happen, Ledah would still be able to fly, and would likely be able to walk with support. It probably wasn't that bad, anyway. But the Magi weren't sure what they were dealing with, and that made Ein nervous. The last time he'd seen Ledah, his lover had seemed just fine, assuring Ein that he was feeling alright. But he'd seemed a bit too pale, a bit too jittery, and he'd once again been sitting in bed when he'd attempted to chase off Ein's worrying.

_You held me in your arms all those years ago and promised me that your wings would be mine for as long as I needed them, _Ein thought to himself. _I should've realized that your promise was good enough instead of being so greedy. Now we don't know what's wrong with you or even if _my _wings will work. I should've been more grateful for the blessings I had right in front of me._

_And now…_

_If something is really wrong with you—if you won't recover—then I'll do everything I can to help you myself. I love you and even though you tell me not to blame myself, I know that the way you are right now is completely my fault. I should never have even taken Celina's offer when she told us about it._

_I promise, Ledah. And I'll tell you as soon as I can, too…_

Ein felt his chest lurch with the pain of his love, and squeezed Einherjar's hilt in his hand as the intensity of his emotions made him sway slightly where he stood. His heartbeat began to quicken as a strange rush of feeling ran over his chest, crawling along his scars…

"Ein!" he heard Ashcroft yell. "Ein, you've done it—look at yourself!"

Startled into attention, Ein blinked his eyes open and looked between the faces of the two Magi and the rest of his audience. Then, he realized and wheeled around, trying to see over his shoulders.

His wings were translucent, and the size they'd been when they were amputated during his Grim Angel trial at age seventeen. But even smaller than his current age should've allowed, they were _wings—_and they glittered so beautifully in the sunlight, almost as though they were made of liquid emerald.

"What was the trigger, then, Ein?" Ashcroft asked.

"I-I don't know," the brunet stammered, shaking his head. "I couldn't concentrate on the spell, anyway… I was thinking about Ledah." He kicked at the ground guiltily. "I couldn't help it."

Ashcroft smiled wryly and shook his head. "The trigger itself, then, must be your love."

Ein blushed and was silent for a moment until he'd gathered the courage to look back up. "Then… what now?" he asked almost shyly.

"Now? I should think that would be obvious," Minerva said mildly. "Fly."

Ein felt as though heavy chains and suddenly been removed from his body as a wave of giddiness rushed through his blood and he leaped up, the echoes of his wings responding more to his thoughts than his movements and spreading wide to keep him gliding.

A soft sound drew his attention, and he looked down at one of the courtyard's entrances. Painstakingly dressed back in the red priest's robes he so cherished, leaning on the stone doorframe for support, was Ledah himself, smiling wearily up at his lover.

Ein gently touched back down, running over to Ledah's side.

"You've done it," the blonde said softly, reaching out to touch Ein's cheek as the brunet started to smile. "Gods, Ecthel, I'm so proud of you…"

Looking around, Ein realized, and his smile grew. "You got here on your _own?" _Ledah didn't answer, though he began to smile back. "Well, good for you! Way to show all those hoverers—you're finally getting your strength back, and that's wonderful."

Reaching out, the formerly wingless angel cupped Ledah's face in his hands, stroked his left cheek and temple with a light caress of his fingers, and leaned in to kiss him—softly at first, mindful of the blonde's lingering injuries, then increasingly desperate with the joy and relief at his success on the last permitted day of his practice.

And as the two of them held each other, a great part of all the worry and anxiety of the past weeks finally fell away, leaving them more of themselves.

---

It was midnight, and soft starlight spilled over the hospital bed.

Ein lay sprawled on his back amidst the scattered covers, his bangs tumbling over his forehead appealingly. He was relaxed, asleep; apparently warm enough though he was completely naked. Ledah lay partially curled upon his lover's body, his still-sensitive leg bent just slightly into a comfortable position. He, too, seemed perfectly at ease; with his wings spread over his and Ein's bodies and Ein's arm still loosely around his waist, he certainly wasn't suffering any cold despite his own lack of bedcovers and clothing. In contrast to Ein's slackened expression, Ledah was smiling softly in his sleep, either from his dreams or the echoes of the pleasure he had taken earlier in the night.

Both of them had worked hard during the day—Ein on controlling his new spell, Ledah on reclaiming the finer motor skills he had with his leg and hip. Ein had been frazzled, Ledah pained and exhausted—but they had loved each other twice as roughly as they'd already exerted themselves, and the aftereffects of sex had lulled them into a very deep and peaceful sleep.

Ledah could _almost _walk normally now without twinges of pain, though running (which required a greater range of hip movement) was still a little bit beyond him, as were several of the fighting techniques he'd developed for ground combat. In contrast, his arm had been paining him a lot, and an irate Samael had continually ordered him to stick it back in its sling or stop overworking it. At least his ribs, the wrenched shoulder, and most of his other minor injuries had healed completely.

Ein had been a bit doubtful about how soon he was climbing back into Ledah's bed, but the seraph had managed to convince him at last, stating baldly how boring it got at night without his lover, who was a lot more inventive at "self-stimulation", as he had put it, than he was himself. If he could walk from one end of the room to the other without flinching and could (and did) maintain masturbation without feeling pain, it was time for them to start having sex again.

Both of them were relieved to find that their passion was not inhibited by Ledah's remaining injuries. And so they'd taken advantage of each other completely—hence their strong resemblance to a pair of tuckered-out puppies at the moment.

Celina, observing from the noiselessly opened door, shook her head at them and smiled wryly. Even though it was a good way to see that things were almost back to normal, she still couldn't believe how willing they were to have it out in a _hospital bed. _Granted, they were better than the ground… but not by much. Surely it was more enjoyable to make love somewhere a little more _comfortable…?_

Either it was a matter of personal preference, or she was getting old.

Shaking her head, she closed the door again and went off. At least this decided the matter for her, so she needed to get going—Ashcroft, like many men, disliked waiting for certain things.

---

Of all the things Ein had expected when Celina and the other Magi had called him and Ledah before their council, this had certainly not been one of them.

"You mean…" he said slowly, wonderingly. "We're… we're _free to go?"_

Celina made a face. "We're not your _jailers, _Ein. And I thought I've already established with you that keeping the two of you on a leash does nothing for any of us, not when you clearly prefer to lead your own lives in Riviera."

Ledah shook his head. "I think what Ein meant is that it's surprising to be told we can leave when I'm still recovering," he volunteered softly. "After all, my arm and my hip are…"

Samael cut in. "Summer in Riviera is a lot warmer than here in Asgard, and the change in climate would probably be better for you. Besides, you'll be in a place where you can honestly relax and not have to be as tense as you are here—and you'll actually be in your home." He shrugged. "Well, as long as you make sure to travel slowly, _I _certainly see no problem with this. I just want you out of my hair anyway—I _hate _being responsible."

"Samael, would you cut the crap for just a _minute _here?" Celina snapped. The Magi's healer made a face and fell silent. "I apologize for him. You know he's always like this."

"No offense taken." Ein grinned, and Ledah covered his own smile.

"Don't forget the sling," Samael told Ledah, glowering a little. "I mean it—much more straining that arm and you're going to undo all the healing that's been laid into it. I'd actually be a lot happier if Ein used his new wings to carry you as far as he can."

Ein worked his arm around Ledah's shoulders and pressed their cheeks together affectionately. "Oh, don't worry about _that. _I've been meaning to, so I've got this all in hand."

As Samael nodded, satisfied, Ledah turned in Ein's embrace to face Celina. "If I may ask… what brought this on?"

The red-clad Magus spread out her hands and shrugged, smiling wryly. "Well, I just figured if the two of you could manage to fuck almost continuously for two hours straight without wearing each other out or causing Ledah any real pain, it's safe to let you out of here without a nanny."

Both Grim Angels stared at her incredulously, red-faced.

Ashcroft, robed in fair blue with a paler sigma on his hood, coughed into his fist and said mildly, "Now, Celina… are you really sure you should be lecturing Samael, with the way you talk to them?"

She turned to him, apparently nonplussed, and pointed to Ein and Ledah. "Ahh, but… the looks on their faces are just so _priceless! _I couldn't resist."

As the other five Magi laughed up their sleeves, Celina waved a hand at her vassals. "Go on, get out of here! I don't think you need to stay around and get picked on any longer. Get yourselves home and have yourselves a real _rest—_you've done well by each other. I'll check up on you in a few months if I think you need it—take care, now."

Ein and Ledah wheeled around, heading back to their own quarters.

"After that I think I'm _glad _to get out of here," Ein muttered. "It's just plain creepy the way she knows stuff like that about us, don't you think?"

"I agree _completely," _Ledah replied, grimacing.

"Rose is gonna have our heads about your arm. She and the others probably trusted us not to get hurt again, and not even I really expected that you would have to fight _alone. _Still, I suppose it's best to get these things over with sooner than later."

"We'll just take our time," Ledah agreed soberly, turning to Ein as their walk slowed. _"Lots _of time, to help my hip and exercise your wings."

"Yeah…" Ein said slowly, breathlessly. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before the brunet leaned in and pressed his lips to his lover's.

"Things didn't go so bad, though, did they?" he said softly, wrapping his arms around Ledah's chest and very gently lifting the blonde seraph off the ground. "It worked, and before long you'll be okay again. Maybe wherever they are, the gods still have the power to bless us."

"Gods or no, Ecthel," Ledah replied, smiling, "I have you, and so I'm blessed all the same."

---

_There certainly are limits to what our Grim Angels can handle, as I have always feared._

_Yet, we were all lucky this time; in the face of love, Ledah Rozwelli will not admit to his limits. In the name of love, he will conquer the impossible._

_Back when I was still only a spellcaster in the service of the gods, I was granted command of a troop of Grim Angels. When it became clear that my powers were needed in Asgard, I entrusted them to their post in Heaven's Gate, giving them my only Cup of Wishes for protection, should something happen. The demons hit—that was one of the worst sieges, for the demons had forged an alliance with the giants of the mountains, and the age-old enemies of the gods made the battle a hell for us. Hector and his soldiers and Grim Angels took the brunt of it in Granada, but my little force got the division of the army that made its way past his fortress._

_They used guerilla tactics to hold the demons and giants off for a few weeks, as long as it took for me to get part of Asgard's home defenses out to save them. By that time, open battle had ensued. I hurried my men there, but it was too late—the last of our soldiers lay dying by the time we arrived._

_His Diviner had been badly damaged, so as he and his comrades had waded into a battle that despite everything they knew they couldn't win, he had taken a fallen demon's simple longsword and fought with it instead. As I knelt beside him, he pressed it into my hands, his eyes shining with pride despite his physical pain and the horror of the injuries done to him—his wings had been torn off by demons, the fingers of his right hand crushed, his face badly maimed by the claws of one of his enemies—and whispered that it had been an honor to serve me._

_By the time I found out that my Grim Angels had never even used their Cup of Wishes, it was too late to do anything for any of them._

_I buried my dead and I sealed the cave that they'd been hiding in. I never fought with my hands again, using instead that soldier's nameless sword. It's become the symbol of my power and my fairness to others like him—Celina the Just, they call me. I don't deserve the title, but it's something that I try to bear the weight of nonetheless._

_I don't know how Ein came into possession of that Cup of Wishes. But now I find myself horrifically glad that no Grim Angels used it in the war, for without it, Ledah would surely have died._

_They're still children in my eyes, the gods protect and keep them. I hate placing them in danger, especially knowing that a lot of permanent damage has been done to Ledah during his battle with the Guardian. But doubtlessly, the time will come again when the two of them will be needed for our cause._

_There has to be a better way._

_I know I'll find it someday._

_So that no more Grim Angels must suffer as these two have…_

(Here end the accounts of Lady Celina of the Six Magi on the subject of Ledah's trial.)

To be continued in the epilogue


	5. Epilogue

Jugement du Ciel

See disclaimer in Part 1

Epilogue

"FIA! CIERRA!"

Ein burst into the open room, gasping for breath, in a state of complete panic.

"You have to come _quick! _It's Ledah! He's… he's…!"

Witch and fencer, who had been translating a holy text they had discovered in some ancient ruin to the common tongue, looked at each other in alarm.

"What's happened?" Fia asked, standing. "What's wrong with Ledah? Is he sick?"

"He's… he's…" Ein shook his head, tears in his eyes. "I just don't know…! Please! He's in so much pain…"

The two women followed him without another word, back to the small home the angels shared.

It had been almost three months since Ein and Ledah had returned from their ordeal within Asgard. To all appearances, Ledah had recovered completely, recovering slowly but fully. However, Fia and Cierra, knowing healing, had worried that with his immune system still reeling from the magic and medicines used to help him, he might succumb to some new ailment and sicken badly. If that was the case…

Heading into the two angels' bedchamber, both of them stopped short. Whatever they had feared, they hadn't expected _this._

Ledah sat trembling on the mattress, leaning back and easing his weight onto his hands, which were tightened into claws on the sheets. He didn't look ill, yet his face was tightened into a look of deep agony, his breathing taut and shallow with pain. There was a thin film of sweat over his face, and his chest heaved as he panted for breath.

"He hasn't been like this since we were in Asgard," Ein whispered, stricken. "Gods, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Fia hesitantly made her way to Ledah's side, sitting on the bed next to him and slipping her arm across his back, just beneath his wings. "Cierra?"

The witch nodded and knelt next to Ledah. "What feels wrong?"

"It's—the damn hip again—" The blonde seraph shuddered, letting out a sigh that carried a mostly-suppressed cry of pain beneath it.

"Don't try to support yourself, just lean on me," Fia murmured, her worry destroying her attempt to sound soothing. "We'll find out what's wrong."

Cierra placed a hand on the offending joint; Ledah tensed apprehensively as he watched, then yelled when she probed it, sounding both surprised and agonized.

"Ledah…" Ein murmured helplessly, unable to do anything but stand and watch.

"This is…" Cierra frowned, then probed again. Instead of shouting again, Ledah grabbed the comforter hard, twisting his head to the side and gritting his teeth almost viciously in an effort to bear the pain noiselessly. Cierra stood, looking puzzled. "I don't know how it can be, but I know what I'm seeing. Ein, this is…" She shook her head. "Ledah's developing arthritis."

Ein stared at her. "Cierra—Ledah's thirty-two! That's too young to get arthritis!"

"That may be the case, but…" She shook her head. "All the signs are there. His hip is painfully swollen, and it seems like the cartilage within the joint is starting to wear down. It must have started when it was dislocated so badly. This is the first instance since Asgard, correct?" Ledah nodded slowly. "It's taken its time to set in, and it probably won't get really bad for a while."

"Cierra and I can make potions or oils that can help with the swelling and the pain," Fia said softly. "But beyond that, there isn't much either of us can do about this. No wonder the Magi seemed so uncertain about Ledah's injuries. Even for us, this is hard to believe…"

All four of them were silent for a while.

"What can be done now?" Ledah asked at last.

"Well, that'll depend a lot on whether this is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid…" Fia said slowly.

"Um… _what?" _Ein said flatly. "Would you mind repeating that in Common?"

The young priestess sighed. "Rheumatoid is a lot more serious. Osteoarthritis can be dealt with. Right now, it's too early to tell. But like I said, Cierra and I can make things to help deal with the pain. Ledah will have to exercise it to make sure the muscles don't atrophy altogether, but he'll also need to rest it for a while. Depending on whether this gets better or worse in the future, you may have to hang up your Diviners for good."

Ein and Ledah stared at her, dumbstruck.

Fia looked from one angel to the other, flustered. "W-well, it'll take a while to see if this really is that serious… right? So don't jump to conclusions too quickly, please…"

"Either way, there's no complete cure," Cierra said softly. "I'm sorry, but this is going to be a problem for the two of you no matter what you decide to do in the future. Ledah, you'll want to keep your hip warm; it'll ease the pain until Fia and I manage to make you something to treat it with." She nodded. "Come on, Fia—let's leave these two alone for a while."

Fia murmured something to Ledah before she stood up and followed her friend. The door to the house swung closed a few moments later, with an audible sound of finality.

The silence in the room was so brittle that it could've shattered if so much of a feather had fallen.

"Ein, this isn't your fault," Ledah said softly.

"Like hell it isn't." Ein's voice and breathing were both tight. "If it weren't for me—"

"That's bullshit. This was my choice all along. I had a bad feeling at the beginning, but I decided that this was too important to pass up. These are my consequences. And you know what? I'm not sorry. Never for a moment would I give up your smile, your wonder when you could finally fly again on your own power. If there's any fault in this, it's _mine _for letting my guard down in that fight. I knew what I was getting into all along."

Ein was silent.

"I can't tell you to stop feeling guilty. You'll go on doing that because that's just the way you are. So long as you understand that this is none of your own fault, I won't interfere with your own thoughts."

"I love you," Ein said bleakly.

Ledah looked up at him. There were frustrated tears on his lover's face.

"I _hate _not being able to do anything to help you."

Ledah reached out to Ein, holding out both hands and trying not to wince as he jarred his hip. With a soft moan, the brunet dropped to his knees at Ledah's bedside, burying his face in the blonde's chest. His shoulders shook with dry sobs as the seraph held him close, folding black protective wings around the two of them.

"It'll be okay," Ledah murmured, smiling. "It's always been okay in the end. We'll make it alright through all this… we always do. Trust in that… trust in us, Ecthel. I'll be fine."

Ein clung to his lover, trying painfully to believe in Ledah's words.

owari

THANK YOU

**Readers who bothered to review. **Fanfics that start out rated M don't seem to get too much attention in the Riviera section, so thanks for what little reviews I managed to get.

**Bri-chan. **It's great to know you have friends who care about what you're writing. Now if only I could get you to go online and review it… :3

**All my fandoms **for entertaining me while I've written my latest monster. These include FMA (Lust, hon, you know the world needs a lot more "good" bad girls like you), NGE (props to Rei-II and Kaworu for being SO! DAMN! CUTE!), Final Fantasy Tactics, and all the other crap.

**Tamora Pierce, **for making Daja gay. Okay, so maybe that doesn't have much to do with JdC, but I went nuts when she macked Rizu. W00t yuri.

**Everyone else **for doing their thing. And stuff.

Author's Note

Jugement du Ciel is in many ways a rather unorthodox fanfiction. I already referenced its story near the end of AVRC, so people knew how it was going to turn out; it begins with an already well-established pairing; and it, like AVRC, has a "realistic" ending that I know readers don't necessarily like. Well, heroes Ein and Ledah may be, but they're "human" heroes. They bleed, and it pays to remind readers that the damage that's done in climactic battles can be very, very permanent.

In addition to all that, JdC is an exploration of Ledah's past and character. He's a man with many sides, game-explored and potential—Grim Angel, soldier, priest, flautist, druggie, and even drag queen (no, you don't want to know. You do, don't you? It's a RENT thing… Ledah wound up being Angel…). His personality is very complex, though he doesn't get fully explored in Riviera itself. I didn't even know the full extents of his messed-up-ness until I started writing. :3 But I guess the bottom line is, he'll do anything and everything for Ein, which is why Chapter 6 in the game turned out the way it did. Ledah's a good boy. I like being able to play around with him.

As far as the Magi go, the six who remain are named (in this fanfic) Celina, Ashcroft, Samael, Minerva, Agrias, and Velsper. I borrowed the name "Ashcroft" from another fic in the section; Samael is a fallen angel, Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, Agrias is one of my favorite characters in Final Fantasy Tactics, and Velsper is a recurring guest character in the Ah! My Goddess series who first appeared in Volume 17, "Mystery Child". Celina is the best developed out of all of them, and she's one of my trademark "strong women with a good heart" characters. I really like her and you'll likely see a lot more of her in my other Riviera fanfictions.

Yggdra and Milanor, referenced in the second chapter, are from Sting's upcoming game Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone for the GBA. It seems to have distant connections to Riviera, so I took a few liberties with the characters to add some flavor to Asgard's festival.

Well, it's been fun. I'll see you all in The Tainted (which you better pay more attention to, MEANIE-BUTTS), in which I'll get to play a little with an unusual pairing idea…

Review, or be prog'd. (Yep, I've been watching too much EVA. So sue me, it's a good show.)

-Feral Phoenix


End file.
